Tips for Keeping Your Spine Healthy


A little prevention could reduce the number of Americans -- up to 90 percent of the entire population -- who will suffer spinal pain at some point in their lives.

“Nerves, muscles and ligaments connect from the spine to areas throughout your body,” says Kambiz Kamian, MD, FRCS(C), Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgeon at Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute at Lakewood Hospital. “That’s why a healthy back is so important to your overall health.”

He suggests a few simple things to keep your spine healthy:

• Practice good posture by standing, walking, sitting, lifting and lying in positions where the least strain is placed on supporting muscles and ligaments.

• Maintain a weight that is appropriate for your height and frame.

• A strength, stretch and aerobic program will improve your fitness level, make you more resistant to injury, and speed recovery if you are injured.

• Wear shoes that are well balanced, flexible and comfortable.

• Stop smoking, as smokers experience more spine pain and heal more slowly.

Dr. Kamian specializes in adult and pediatric neurosurgery, brain tumors, spine surgery, hydrocephalus, congenital spine and brain malformation and skull base tumors. He sees patients at Cleveland Clinic Lorain Institute and Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute at Lakewood Hospital.

The Institute offers expert neurologists who specialize in a wide range of diseases, including stroke, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease.

To make an appointment, call 216-529-7110.