Today  working  usually implies sitting at a desk from morning to evening. While this may seem more comfortable than working in the fields, sitting at a desk can trigger a host of back problems. This is because sitting in the same position all day makes the spine bend forward and lowers the efficiency of the back muscles. Working at a desk not only strains your back, but also restricts your movements to typing on a keyboard and moving a mouse. 

Once a back problem begins, it usually lasts a lifetime hence; here are a few tips to save your back.

Get yourself a good chair: Your chair is crucial to your back s health. Avoid the hard backed plastic chairs and pick a more flexible mesh backed office chair if you sit at the table for a long span of time. Ergonomic chairs may seem expensive, but are worth the expense in the long run.
Stretch your muscles: Sitting in the same position all day, puts the muscles under stress and with time can constrict the muscles. Make it appoint to stand up every 30 minutes and stretch your back and sides. Also try rotating your hips and shoulders form time to time.
Take a break: No matter how much work you have in front of you, take a break at the end of each hour. Taking even 2 minutes off out of 60 every hour can have a huge impact on your health. If you still feel guilty skip using the phone to connect with your colleague and walk over to their desks instead.
Get a pedometer: Keeping a pedometer will help you track the number of steps taken in a day. Ideally, a person should take 10,000 steps a day to stay healthy. If you sit at a desk for majority of the day, take every opportunity you can to up the count on your pedometer. Go for a walk around your office after lunch or park your car a little way off from the office to create opportunities to walk.
Take the stairs: As far as possible avoid escalators and elevators. Instead climb stairs for a quick workout. If your office is on the 20th floor, walking up may not be feasible, but you could get off the elevator on the 18th floor and walk up the remaining two floors.
Eat healthy: Lastly, pay attention to what you eat. Avoid eating at the office canteen or picking up a bite at the coffee shop and carry lunch from home. This ensures that you eat a balanced meal.

World Spine Day-6 Back Saving Tips for People Who Sit at a Desk All Day

Why does PAIN occur? Understand the Mechanism of Pain

Pain is an unpleasant and distressing physical sensation caused by disease or injury, which induces hurt and anxiety in those suffering from it.
There are many different manifestations of pain, ranging from short term (acute pain) to long term (chronic pain). Other classifications include pain in the internal organs (visceral pain), injured tissue (inflammatory pain), nerves (neuropathic pain), etc.

The reason for the occurrence of pain depends on the cause and kind of pain being experienced. In most cases, pain acts as a warning sign that the body has been afflicted by a disorder of some sort, which may have arisen due to internal sickness or external wounding. Acute pains are generally cured on their own through rest or simple medication. Chronic pains, on the other hand, are more complicated in nature and the treatment requires more elaborate diagnosis.

The mechanism of pain

Pain is an extremely personal and subjective experience and affects each individual to varying degrees. The pain signals, which can arise in any part of the body, travel through the spinal cord to the brain along thousands of specialized nerves and nerve fibres. In the brain, it is processed in the centres associated with anxiety, emotions, memory, appetite, etc. Signals and pain inputs are then returned from the brain to the spinal cord, which may heighten or diminish pain.

In some cases, pain may also be induced by damage to the brain and spinal cord, which happens after a stroke.
A constant barrage of pain signals may cause the cells at the end of nerve fibres to become over-sensitized. This is known as 'wind-up' and is one of the most common causes of chronic pain that occurs even though the root of the problem has been identified and treated.

The causes and effects of pain differ from case to case depending on the signals received by the brain and its interpretation. It affects the individual's day to day activities and if persistent, can also have a harmful impact on mental health and psychosis. Pain is always handled, diagnosed and treated differently in all patients by drawing out the best possible solution to the problem.





Why does PAIN occur? Understand the Mechanism of Pain

Lower back pain is a very common discomfort causing condition that occurs anywhere on the back below the ribs and above the legs. The pain is very common and it is faced by most individuals at least once during their lifetime.

The most basic measures to cure your lower back pain are exercising well, eating healthy and maintaining a good body posture at all times. Here are some of the common treatment options for reducing back pain.

Spinal Manipulation

It refers to an ancient form of therapy in which your back pain is treated externally. This form of treatment is quite similar to a massage treatment and helps to relax the muscles in the lower back area, thereby reducing the pain. It is usually done by osteopathic physicians, chiropractors, occupational therapists and physical therapists.

Neurostructural integration technique (NST)

The main role of this type of treatment is to naturally reset the affected area of the body in order to allow it to regain its normal form. The results usually begin to appear after at least 2 sessions of the therapy and the effects are long lasting in nature.

Acupuncture

This is an old technique which uses small needles at strategic locations on your skin. The main aim of the acupuncturists is to re-balance the flow of energy in your body and to ensure that you have an optimal level of energy in all parts of your body. This in turn helps to regain the normal state of your lower back if the right points on the body are targeted.

Other measures

Some preventive measures which ensure that the lower back pain does not recur are as follows:

1.Keep your spine straight and posture correct
2.Avoid excessive bending, stretching or weight lifting
3. Avoid heavy physical activities like sprinting
4.Regular and light exercising

Common Treatment Options For Back Pain

About 80 percent of people all across the globe experience lower back pain at some stage in their lives. It is one of the most common reasons why people miss their work and appoint a physiotherapist. But lower back pain is an ailment that can be avoided with proper knowledge and some back exercises. In case your lower back pain is not under control and you have been neglecting it, you are susceptible to acute pain, sciatica, nerve pain and pain in other regions caused from a pinched nerve. Long-term pain in the back portion can lead to permanent ailments like degenerative disc disease or spinal stenosis.

Probable causes of lower back pain
Severe pain in the lower back region can be caused due to a herniated disc, back muscle pain, ligament strain or any other non-specific pain. An individual may also suffer from lower back pain due to systemic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia or ankylosing spondylitis. Though these causes are very common in most people suffering from lower-back pain, the diagnosis varies from person to person and to ensure the best care to alleviate the pain, you must consult a responsive musculoskeletal physiotherapist.

Stages for assessing and treating lower back pain
Managing the back pain is the primary objective of physiotherapy. In reality, back pain is the final symptom that is developed and the first thing that must be addressed.

Stage I
Back pain relief: The physiotherapist is going to use different types of tools and items to help the pain subside along with the inflammation. These include electrotherapy, acupuncture, ice application, soft-tissue massage and deloading taping techniques. Sometimes the physiotherapist may also recommend an anti-inflammatory drug if the pain is intolerable.

Stage II
Restoring normal strength: With the settling of pain and inflammation, you are more susceptible to injury because though your pain has subsided, your ligaments and muscles are weak. Your doctor will aim at restoring normal motion of lumbar spine, muscle endurance and strength, proprioception, balance and walking abilities.

Stage III
Restoring full body function: Depending on your daily chores and activity, your physiotherapist will aim at restoring the function of your back portion to keep you safe while performing the chosen activities. For some, it may be taking a slow walk around the park while for others it may mean taking part in some sports activity.

Stage IV
Preventing recurrence: Your physiotherapist will rehabilitate you to prevent further occurrence of this excruciating pain by suggesting proper postures, exercise and core muscle workout.

Each of these stages are important to help you get rid of severe back pain and with daily exercise, you can regulate your body and spare yourself from recurrence of this lower back pain.

Treating Chronic Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain can be one of the most physically debilitating things that can affect you and limit your mobility. Even if the pain isn t that acute, it could still signal something deteriorating in your lower back. While oral medications, topical creams or sprays can help in reducing pain, there are other effective remedies you can try on your own. These will be handy when you have no medications at hand. One of these is the hot and cold therapy.

Heat therapy for lower back pain

Heat works well with lower back pain as it can dilate blood vessels and improve circulation within the tissue. This will help in circulation and also result in lowering the pain. Heat therapy will also loosen up other muscles in the area and help soothe sore areas which have been taking the burden along with the lower back muscles. Some of the techniques that can be applied are:

1. All day heat wraps: These are specially manufactured belts or wraps which wrap around your abdomen and keep tightness and pressure on your lower back as well as supplying heat.

2. Electric heating pads: These are mechanized heating pads which generate heat with electricity. You can place them under you back and then either sit or sleep with it positioned behind you. However, ensure that you don t keep these for too long as they could burn your skin.

3. Hot Compress with towels or hot water bags: Use a clean towel and heat it over a conductive surface and apply it on your lower back. You can also use hot water bags for the same purpose.

Cold therapy for lower back pain

Cold therapy uses the principle of constriction of blood vessels as well as slowing circulation. This will help numb the area and thus help relieve the pain. Some of the ways these can be administered are mentioned below.

1. Ice towel: In this method, soak a towel in ice cold water, wring it to dry it and then apply on your lower back. This will numb the pain without transferring the sting of the cold or damaging your skin.

2. Ice packs: Put about half a kg of ice in a plastic Ziploc bag and pour water over the ice to just about cover it. Push out the air out of the bag and then lock it. Use this ice pack with a towel to ensure that you back doesn't get wet.

3. Ice gel packs: These are ready made packs, which can be bought from medical stores and kept frozen to be used whenever you need it in order to relieve lower back pain.

Treating Lower Back Pain Using Hot and Cold Therapy

Pain causes a lot of discomfort in the body no matter whether the pain is in the back, legs or in the head. Almost all people experience lower-back pain at some point in their lives, which can be extremely painful and can cause considerable annoyance. The first medical specialty that comes to mind for relief of lower-back pain is Orthopedics. The other two specialists that play a vital role in treating lower-back pain are the neurosurgeons and the physiatrists.

Pain in the Back
It is very difficult for the body to source the pain when it is deep and this pain could be due to infection, disease or injuries in the back, stomach and heart. It is even possible that the pain radiates to different places in the body. Often back pain is accompanied by body changes like redness, fever, neurological problems, heat, and changes in body functions and for that diagnosis of the back pain may be very severe. Patients suffering from lower-back pain and with symptoms that comprise of weakness in the foot or other symptoms of a neurologic insufficiency must definitely see a neurosurgeon.

Back pain that occurs due to reversible problems is known to vanish in a few hours or in a day. However, if it continues longer and is accompanied by body changes, then there are chances that the condition can become worse. Visiting a doctor becomes a must for back pain if any of such characteristics are witnessed. It is always better to get evaluated by a physician.

When to Consult a Doctor Immediately

    Back pain that is followed by a shock like a car accident.
    The pain in the back worsens and is constant
    Back pain continues for more than 4-6 weeks
    The pain does not improve even after taking typical remedies such as taking pain relievers or after resting.
    Severe pain in the back in the night and that is alleviated by rest
    The back pain is accompanied by abdominal pain
    Numbness in the upper thighs, buttocks, groin or in the genital area
    Weakness or tingling sensation in the arm or legs

Role of a Neurosurgeon
The neurosurgeon provides non-surgical as well surgical care depending upon the nature of the illness or the injury, and he does not just operate. The neurosurgeons are experts and offer treatment to patients suffering from any injury or disease in the spine, brain or peripheral nerves that deal with arms, hands, feet and legs. But there are many other neurosurgeons that confine their practice to treating back pain.

Lower Back Pain - 8 Signs When You Must Visit Your Doctor

Don't wait any longer, manage your Lumbar Pain online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Lumbar Pain - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES