Take Care Of Your Back

Take Care Of Your Back

In today's fast paced world, many of us have no time to take care of our own health. I have come across many people who come with long-term back pain, neck pain and even whole body pain. Even youth are not spared nowadays. They seem to have weird complains. But is it that difficult to take some time for our own well being? If we do things right the first time, then we will not fall prey to such situations.
Our ancestors were used to a lot of physical activity. Even for their daily food they had to work hard. But with the advent of technology, everything is available for us at our doorstep. We don't have to work that hard. 90% of the world's population leads a sedentary lifestyle, which includes working at the desk or computer for 9 or more hours per day. There is nothing wrong in such a living, but it is up to us to make the most of it and take care of ourselves.

Our spine is made up of 4 different curves. In the neck the spine curves forwards, in the Trunkal region it curves backwards and then again forwards in the lower back and finally curves backwards lower down just above the buttocks. These curves are maintained by the proper alignment of the bones of the vertebral (spinal) column and the muscles and ligaments attached to them. If there is a problem in this alignment by wrong postures or by weakness of the muscles, we get a backache.

The lower back supports the weight of the head neck and trunk. So there is a tremendous amount of load on this part of the spine. This load is at a maximum when sitting, then standing and least when lying down. Hence those who sit for prolonged hours in the same posture tend to have backaches. If a wrong posture is maintained for even more than 30 minutes, we begin to feel uneasy, so we slouch even more, because that gives us some relief. But in the long run this leads to more load on the spine as the muscles are relaxed in the wrong fashion and contribute to abnormal forces on the spinal column.
Is there a way to prevent backache? Is there any cure for back aches? There are a few simple precautions we need to take in order to prevent being victims of this problem.

·    While sitting on a chair, sit behind in the chair taking full support of the backrest. Do not lean forwards or too much backwards. The angle of the backrest should be between 90° to 110°.

·    See that your legs are ahead of you with your feet resting on the floor or a stool. The legs should be supported and not left hanging in the air.

·    Keep a small cushion in the chair lower down at the angle of the backrest with the seat to support your lower spine.

·    Keep your hands on the armrest of the chair. They should not be stretched out too far ahead, as this may make you lean forward.

·    If the chair you sit on at work is not comfortable, please ask your employer to have it changed. Remind him that good posture and health lead to better productivity.

·    Do not sit for more than 40-60mins in the same position. Every 40mins you need to get up from the chair and stretch your hands and feet a little.

·    The best exercise to do is to raise both your hands straight in front of you and take them above your head and then lower them slowly.

·    Sleep on a firm mattress. It should not be too soft so as to sink in, nor too hard. Cotton mattresses or those with coir and foam will be very useful.

·    The best way to sleep is to sleep on one side, instead of sleeping straight on your back. This will prevent any extra strain on the back muscles.

·    Use a firm pillow, about 2-3 inches thick, especially when you sleep on your side. This will prevent your neck from bending down too much to one side.
I'm sure following these simple guidelines will keep you on the road to a good posture and help you avoid backaches. Those who already have this problem from many years should however consult a spine surgeon and a physiotherapist for proper personal treatment. Some may need surgery and some only exercises. This needs to be decided by the surgeon. You can still follow these guidelines in addition to your treatment. Treat it now before it is too late.