The Silent Epidemic

We are all suffering from a new syndrome, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic – the Work From Home Syndrome. And with it comes a whole lot of other maladies – bad posture and back pain resulting from sitting long hours in front of your desktop or laptop. Our Wellness consultant, Tasneem Patel, dwells on this problem and gives us tips on how to prevent it. Tasneem has over fifteen years of experience in the field and conducts a Fusion program that mixes the emotional and spiritual aspects of Yoga with the conditioning aspects of Western Training.  She runs her own state-of-the-art Ayurveda Panchkarma Center with affiliated doctors, Avothikaryaa in Mumbai.

Lower back pain is a silent epidemic that has become the single leading cause of disability worldwide. It is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections. Moreover, experts estimate that as much as 80% of the population will experience a back problem at some point of time in their life.

But what is the reason lower back pain has become such a viral problem? And what can we do to avoid it and tackle it?

The lower back is comprised of a lot of muscles, joints, ligaments, and bones. It is a complex structure. There are long and strong cord like muscles that run all the way from the top of your back to the bottom. There are also the muscles of the abdomen, those much sought after ab muscles, which in actuality run all the way around the waist forming the core structure of not only your stomach but also your lower back. And at the center of all of these rests the vertebral column, a bony structure made up of vertebrae, at the heart of which sits the precious precious spinal cord.

Now, for back pain to occur, a whole host of things can go wrong with this setup. You can sprain ligaments, strain muscles, rupture disks, and irritate joints. However, these days, in the case of most people who enter the doctor’s office, it is rarely so that their lower back pain has been caused by any one of these reasons. Most of the people entering a doctor’s office suffer from a mechanical problem, a weakening of the muscles surrounding the back, that is to say their lower back pain has been caused by modern sedentary lifestyle.

Think about your day. What is the one activity that you do most during it? I’m sure it is sitting. We sit to use the computer. We do some more while watching the TV. Some more during meetings. Some more while talking on the phone. And then some more again during long sumptuous meals. It is no wonder then that sitting is called the new smoking.

Sitting on a chair in particular causes many problems that can lead to lower back pain. It leads to the weakening of the gluteus muscles and tightening of the hip flexors. Reaching out and typing away on a keyboard or scrolling away on a mouse while being unaware of your posture, can lead to kyphosis, which is the rounding of the mid back. That can then lead to lower back pain because the vertebrae are all connected. Talking on the phone with our heads tilted one way or another has the same effect. It can lead to a shift of the vertebrae to one side, (cervical spondylitis) that may then travels southwards to the lower back. Those weak or inactive gluteus muscles from sitting can result in a compensation where the lower back is used for movement instead of the buttocks, leading to back pain. The same is the case with the weak or tight hip flexors.

Moreover, data shows that less than 5% of the population participates in at least thirty minutes of physical activity each day. This means that most people do almost nothing to correct the bad movement patterns that have been enforced. In addition, arthritis, obesity, and psychological stress can also cause or complicate back pain.

However, by far the biggest problem is that no one takes lower back pain seriously enough. After it starts, it is brushed off as a mere inconvenience. After all, in the beginning it does not impede daily work, and so, people tend to ignore it. Best case scenario, they tend to purchase an over the counter ointment or balm for some relief, but that relief is only temporary.

Given all of this, it is no wonder then that soon the simplest of movements—for example, picking up a pencil from the floor—  turns painful. And it is no wonder then that people start to run from doctor to doctor, spending money on surgeries that are no replacement for the natural mechanics of the human body.

TIPS TO PREVENT BACK PAIN

1. Remain Active

If your job requires you to be seated at a desk, make sure you take a break after every 45 minutes. Get up. Stretch a little, bend a little, perform a few air squats, walk a little, try standing on one leg, go up on your toes. Doing these regularly will make sure that you keep back pain at bay.

2. Maintain Proper Posture

What can you do while sitting? You could maintain proper posture. Here are some cues. Make sure your spine is tall and erect, your shoulders are behind your ears. Make sure your chin isn’t popping out. And make sure your belly is slightly stretched too, with a slight tuck to it, to keep your core engaged.

3. Train Smarter

The next time you do a crunch or a sit-up notice what’s happening at your back; isn’t that the same shape that your back makes while you are seated on a chair with bad posture? How is that workout helping you then? Isn’t it reinforcing the bad posture that you’ve come to the gym to correct?

The solution, train your abs in a neutral posture, or train it to stretch instead of contract. SPINAL MOBILITY V Sits, planks, dead bugs, deadlifts, hanging, will prove to be a much better choice.

4. Lift With Your Knees

The back is versatile and strong, but it functions best in the neutral posture. The job of lifting heavy weights is of your legs and your buttocks. So use them to lift. Bend your knees, keep your spine erect, balance your weight on both legs equally, keep the object close to your body, and do not twist when lifting.

5. Watch Your Shoes

Heeled shoes, shoes with narrow toe boxes, and shoes with excessive cushioning, impede the natural functioning of the foot. This can travel up the kinetic change and become a problem not only for your lumbar but also your ankles and knees.

6. Watch Your Food
Eating right is one part of the story, eating at the right time is the other. Timing of your meals should be fixed and regular. Avoid foods that cause too much gas. Lack of fiber in the food, and lack of hydration (coffee and tea is not a replacement for water) can cause constipation which can become a cause of back pain.

7. Avoid Inactivity

Prolonged inactivity or bed rest can be just as bad as sitting. Even if you have fallen sick or have some back pain; do not lie on bed for days. Only if your doctor has advised, then only take bed rest. Walking gently for 5 to 10 minutes even during illness, will stop your muscles from atrophying, and will ensure proper blood circulation. Moreover, most of us do not sleep correctly. We sleep on our sides, on our stomachs, with ridiculously thick pillows under our necks. The best way to sleep is straight with your neck supported by a thin pillow. Deep breathing sitting on bed or chair can improve your blood circulation and your oxygen uptake.

8. Massages

Regular massages is a must! Oil lubricates and strengthens the muscles, joints, and bones. It can reduce inflammation, reduce swelling and also relaxes your mind and body. There are different kinds of massages applicable in different back pain problems. There are gentle abhyangams, sarvangdharas, pindsweds, pizzichils, bastis, and many more treatments available to cure the back pains; Ayurveda doctors will be the best to diagnose and prescribe you the treatments as per your problems. One can even massage oneself daily to ensure the health of muscles and joints. Rubbing coconut oil on the body a little while before a bath is ideal. Regular massages can prevent the need to resort to steroids and NSAIDS which are detrimental to your internal organs. It can also prevent surgeries.

9. Quit Smoking

Smoking impairs blood flow, resulting in oxygen and nutrient deprivation to spinal tissues, which can also lead to lower back pain.

 

Read More: 5 natural and earth-friendly cleaners you can make at home