How 5 common spine related problems can ruin your life

Here are the 5 most common back related ailments your lifestyle may worsening.

Dr Garima Anandani | Published: November 7, 2014 6:23 pm

Spine related illnesses are mainly caused due to bad posture that affects the spinal cord, leading to back pain that can be debilitating. With the consumption of healthy food, active lifestyle and following safe practices while sitting, walking and bending, most of these spine related problems can be prevented. But with out current lifestyle — where we sit at a desk for over eight hours at a time — it can lead to some spine related ailments. Here are the most common ones with tips on keeping your back healthy.

What are the most common types of back related ailments?

Sciatica: It is a simple non specific lower back pain which could be because of weak muscles or bad posture.

Disc related problem: These include disc bulge, disc protrusion or herniation. They are all different stages of degradation of the disc which can give one back pain as well as pain in the legs.

Lumbar canal stenosis: This is commonly seen in elderly people, beyond 55 years of age.

Scoliosis: It is commonly seen in younger generation that causes abnormal curvature of the spine.

Anchorising spondylosis: This spinal problem is very common in the middle age (20-30 years) people.

When a person suffers from any of the above conditions, how does it affect their daily life?

When a person has any of these conditions, the common symptoms are pain in the back and morning stiffness. In addition to these, getting up out of a chair after having been seated for a while causes stiffness and pain and the person might take time to straighten up. Also, turning in the bed could become painful. Some people may find it difficult to stand or walk for 10 minutes as they experience pain in the back and neck. Also, people with neck pain will have headache, pain in the arms, numbness and affect their gait. A person’s gait is affected only when the condition worsens. Also, some patients might feel like they are walking tilted and putting all their weight on one side of their body, this condition is also called a lateral shift.

How can a person keep their spine healthy in their everyday life?

Lead an active life: What must be emphasised is the fact that right from young ages, people tend to give their children a lot of gadgets. And children instead of playing, tend to be stuck to these gadgets leading an inactive and sedentary life. This lifestyle carries on into their adulthood. I would say sitting should be minimised.
Check your posture: Other things would be standing, walking and changing your postures. No posture should be held for more than an hour. But obviously when you are at work, you don’t have the luxury to lie down so you should alternated between sitting, standing and walking.
Avoid sitting for long hours: One of the common mistakes that people do is to reach home, finish dinner and sit on the bed with their legs elongated or lie down and watch TV. Now, since you have been sitting all day at work and then you come back and sit the wrong way can seriously harm the back. Once in a while is fine (fora bout half an hour) but not on a regular basis.
Sit in a right position: Your work chair should support your lower back and at the right height when compared to their desk. Also those who use a laptop, the state is even worse because it is usually placed much lower, leading to strain on the back and neck. The monitor should be in front of your face and your keyboard should be parallel to your elbows.
Make sure your feet touch the ground: People whose feet don’t touch the ground when they sit also tend to hurt their back. In such cases they should use something to support their feet and protect their back.

Implement these simple yet effective measures in your daily life to maintain your spine health and prevent its allied health complications.

Image Source: Getty Images

Published: November 7, 2014 6:23 pm

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