Dr. Anurag Aggarwal
Orthopedics and Joint Replacement, Maringo Hospitals, Faridabad
Article: Rajni Arora
An important cause of back pain can be a problem in the spinal cord or spine. In fact, whenever there is a problem in the vertebrae of the spine or there is pressure on any nerve due to the disc of the spine, then the problem of back pain occurs. Complaints of back pain have become common these days. This problem is being aggravated due to poor lifestyle and continuous sitting work.
Why is the spinal cord very special?
The spinal cord runs from the back of the brain down to near the pelvis. It is made up of a series of 33 small bones, which are called vertebrae. The bones of the spine are connected by ligaments, tendons, nerves and discs. It helps in exchanging messages between the brain and other parts of the body. The spinal cord is the most important part of our body. A healthy spine is very important for our overall health. Along with bearing the weight of the entire body, it also controls the entire body.
What are the causes of spinal problems?
wrong posture
In 80 percent of spine patients, the problem of back pain is due to wrong posture. That means our posture while getting up, sitting, standing, walking, standing or sleeping should be wrong. We continue to adopt the same wrong posture for a long time, due to which gradually we start having back pain.
relaxed lifestyle
Many times back pain also occurs due to our relaxed lifestyle. If we work sitting for a long time and do not take any break in between or there is no exercise schedule. In such a situation, there may be a complaint of pain in the spine due to stiffness in the bones.
wrong eating habits
Wrong eating habits are also a major reason for weakening of our bones. Due to lack of exposure to sunlight or lack of calcium and vitamin D in the diet, back pain or neck pain also starts.
slip disc
Sometimes lifting heavy weight or pulling any heavy object puts pressure on the spine. Due to this, the spinal disc slips backward and starts pressing the nerves. This pressure causes back pain.
in case of infection
Due to tuberculosis infection, pain in the spine persists for a long time. In this, the patient feels heavy along with back pain in the evening.
enclosing spondylitis
Due to swelling and arthritis in the spine, it binds the entire spine and starts restricting its movement.
osteoporosis
Especially in older women, small mild fractures start occurring in the vertebrae of the spine due to osteoporosis.
What are the warning signs?
If the patient is feeling a lot of stiffness in his spine in the morning along with back pain and it is gradually increasing. Despite taking rest, the pain is not getting better or is coming back again and again. If back pain persists for more than 10-12 days, one should definitely consult a doctor and get proper treatment.
Protect yourself by keeping these things in mind
To avoid back pain, it is important to maintain good posture. The sitting chair should have hand support, back rest and the angle of the back should be close to 110 degrees, so that there is no angiopressure on your waist. Sit straight on the chair. Do not remain sitting for a long time. Take a break after every half hour.
While working on the computer, keep your computer monitor straight instead of bending forward, so that there is no problem of back pain. If you have back pain or sciatica pain, then avoid some activities, such as bending forward suddenly, while picking up something from the ground, do not bend straight and lift it with bent knees, so that there is no pressure on the back.
Make an exercise schedule. Make an exercise schedule to maintain a healthy weight, because the higher the body weight, the more pressure is placed on the spine. Especially do back-four-muscle strengthening, flexion (forward bending) and extension (reverse or backward bending) exercises. Arthritis patients must move all their joints once a day.
Eat a nutritious and balanced diet every day. Due to decrease in bone density with increasing age, bones start becoming weak. It is important to take calcium rich diet, along with this you can take Vitamin D capsules or take sun exposure.
Even while sleeping, keep in mind that do not sleep on a mattress that is too soft or hard. While sleeping, sleep with your knees bent and on your side like a child, so that there is less pressure on the spine. Spine and back muscles should remain relaxed. While getting up from lying on the bed, do not get up straight suddenly. Take turns. Lift your upper body first with the support of your hands. Sit comfortably and only then stand up.
Case Study:
Sejal was suffering from back pain for about 20 days. Initially, she ignored the back pain and kept going to office with painkillers, but as the pain increased, even doing routine work was becoming difficult. After seeing the doctor, it was found that due to sitting and standing in wrong posture, there was pressure on the vertebrae of his waist. This has also affected his spinal cord. At present, the doctor has advised him to take a medication course for at least 2 weeks, wear a waist belt and take as much rest as possible.