Exercises to cure long hours of sitting
Most of us are used to sitting throughout the day, willingly or unwillingly due to work or otherwise. We spend more hours sitting, and most of our work is done in this position. The downsides of this are many, one of them being a stiff back which not only causes a lot of pain but also initiates many other health problems.
Train yourselves on these highly effective exercises which minimise the pain and keep your muscles active.

1. Back press: put towel on your back and press the towel with the back. Hold that position for 10 sec. Repeat 10 times. Do not hold your breath while applying pressure at the back.
2. Bridges: lie on the floor, bend your knees and secure your feet on the ground. Raise your hips upwards so that your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Release and go back to previous position.
3. Knee to chest exercise: just lie down on an exercise mat, bend your one knee while lying and try to touch that knee to the stomach. Hold it for 10 seconds. Repeat this with the other leg. Alternate the legs each time.
4. Bilateral knee to chest: bend both the knees while lying on bed. With support of your hands try bringing both bent knees to touch the stomach. Hold that position for 10 seconds. Repeat 5 times.
5. Static abdominal exercise: lying on your back, try to contract your stomach without holding your breath. Hold it for 10 seconds. Repeat the exercise for 7 or 10 times.
6. Knee to opposite chest: lying on your back, bend your knees. Try bringing one knee to opposite side of the chest and hold that position for 7 sec. Do this for 7 times and repeat the same for the other leg too.
7: leg swings: these are easy and fun. Stand by the wall, hold on to a rod or something similar to keep balance. Now with the leg that is not towards the wall, swing. Swing your leg from front to back, left to right. Do not be too quick, do this at a mediocre pace. Repeat with the other leg.
8: static glutei: lying on the stomach, squeeze your buttock and hold it for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times.

General precautions:
1. Avoid bending instantly after or during the exercises. Incase you have to bend, first bend your knee then bend your back to pick up anything from ground.
2. While getting up from bed first turn to one side while lying, sideways then get up from bed slowly.
3. Apply hot pack in back whenever there is pain.
4. Try to sleep in hard part of mattress not in soft mattress.



Long Hours Of Sitting? Try This Permanent Relief From Back Pain

The causes and symptoms of chronic lower back pain

Lower back pain is characterized by a feeling of pain around the lumbar region (curve of the back connecting the upper back and glutes- muscles in the buttock that are responsible for thigh movement) caused by muscle or ligament injury. The spinal area is most likely to be affected by lower pain as it may impair routine activities like walking and standing. Any lower back pain that lasts for more than ninety days can be considered as chronic.

Causes of lower back pain

There are plenty of causes for lower back pain. Anything that exposes the lumbar area of the spine to a level of stress beyond its capacity can cause lower back pain. These causes are-

1. Disorders of the discs

The spinal area in the lower back comprises of small bones called the vertebra, which are connected to each other by pieces of cartilage known as discs. These discs act as shock absorbers, and when exposed to excessive shock can cause the disc to bulge, resulting in herniated discs. Wear and tear of the discs can also occur.

2. Spinal stenosis

Spinal stenosis occurs when the area around the spine becomes narrow. It may affect the nerves surrounding the lower back, resulting in pain.

3. Wear and tear of the joints and ligaments

Normal wear and tear of the joints and ligaments cause difficulties in holding the spine in its proper position and this progresses with age. This may cause a vertebra to slide over another and affect the nerve endings, giving rise to pain.

Symptoms of lower back pain

The symptoms of lower back pain are usually a dull or excruciating pain in the lower back. It can also affect other parts of the body such as the hips and the legs. In case of severe pain, simple activities like walking, bending and sitting will be impaired.



The Causes and Symptoms of Chronic Lower Back 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

Pain is unpleasant suffering caused by injury or illness. Back pain may be sudden/constant, dull, severe or not responding to short rest and medication. Constant pain in back in any region of spine for more than few days to weeks needs intervention.

Pain which is intense especially at night requires urgent visit to a specialist.

Sudden onset of pain in back with or without injury needs urgent attention.

Back pain with difficulty in walking, pain while getting up from position of comfort, pain during change of posture or pain after prolonged sitting (for work) can lead to serious permanent damage, if left untreated.

Pain which travels to one or both legs may be due to pressure on the nerve/s and if left untreated for long can lead to permanent weakness or damage.

Pain associated with numbness, tingling or weakness in legs, especially below the knees, commonly called Sciatica, needs to be investigated. Various spinal ailments can lead to weakness in one or two limbs or all four limbs. There may be associated or isolated numbness (loss of sensation to touch, pain or temperature) without back pain.

Numbness, tingling or weakness may be the only symptoms without any complaint or without history of back pain.

Problems related to bladder control which may be difficulty to control, hesitancy in passing or dribbling of urine. There may be associated constipation. Loss of bowel/bladder control is caused by pressure on spinal cord &/or nerves which may be due to injury, infection, disc prolapse or tumor.

Sudden swelling and redness in back usually happens after an injury or accident but sometimes are signs of underlying severe illness.

Loss of normal shape/curvatures of spine can present with or without pain. It can lead to forward, sideways or rarely backward bending.

Unintentional weight loss, loss of appetite, evening rise of fever or disturbed sleep with associated back pain/weakness/numbness needs visit to a specialist.

When Should You See Your Doctor in Back Pain?

Back pain is something that affects many people all over the world. Persistent and chronic pain seems to be one of the most common complaints. Middle back pain is back pain that is felt in the thoracic vertebrae region, which is located between the base of the neck and top of the lumbar spine. The ribs attach to a long, flat bone in the middle of the chest called the sternum and wrap around the back. In case, there is a nerve around there is squeezed, disturbed, or injured, you are likely to feel pain in different spots where the nerve goes through, for example, your arms, legs, chest and the stomach.

Some of the most common causes of middle back pain are as follows:

Middle back pain can happen as a consequence of injury or sudden damage or it can happen through strain or poor stance after some time.
The most widely recognized reason for middle back pain seems to begin from soft tissue problems or muscular irritation. These can emerge from poor stance, lack of strength, prolonged sitting in front of a computer, utilizing a heavy backpack, overuse injuries, (for example, repetitive movement), or injury, (like a whiplash damage brought about by an auto crash or as a consequence of a sports injuries).
The middle back is a moderately normal site for inflammatory, degenerative, metabolic, infective and neoplastic conditions.
Middle back pain and its dysfunctions are connected with various conditions, for example, essential and optional osteoporosis (particularly vertebral cracks and hyperkyphosis emerging from vertebral bone loss), ankylosing spondylitis, osteoarthritis and Scheuermann's infection.
Muscle strain, overuse or damage to the muscles, tendons, and discs that are backing your spine can also cause middle back pain.
Weight on the spinal nerves from specific issues, for example, a herniated disc.
A fracture in one of the vertebrae can also cause pain in this region.
Osteoarthritis created by the breakdown of ligament or cartilage that cushions the little joints in the spine.
Myofascial pain that influences the connective tissue of a muscle or gathering of muscles.
In uncommon cases, pain might be brought about by different issues, for example, gall bladder disease, cancer or an infection.
Getting hit hard in the back can also cause chronic pain.
Lift something too heavy may cause pain and a sudden pressure in this area.
A compression fracture of the vertebra can also bring about intense or chronic pain in the middle back. The injury may bring about a fracture, however in ladies over age 50 without critical injury or somebody known to have osteoporosis, an unconstrained vertebral fracture is possible.
Other contributing factors to injury include lack of strength which can be treated by a Pain Management Specialist using non-surgical methods.

Common Causes of Middle Back Pain

Most of us suffer from lower back pain at some point in our lives; be it from a sedentary lifestyle, spending hours at the office desk or from strenuous physical exercises. In most cases, a little bit of rest does the trick. However, if the lower back pain persists for 3-6 weeks, physiotherapy is recommended.

How does physiotherapy help?

The main purpose behind physiotherapy is reducing lower back pain and increasing muscle and bone function, so that such instances are avoided in the future. Physiotherapy is the first line of defence against lower back pain. More drastic measures such as surgery are undertaken once physiotherapy fails to do is job.

Physiotherapy is often recommended when the back pain is caused due to lifestyle factors, a minor injury like a fall or other moderate factors. For more severe back injuries, doctors recommend surgery straight away when there is no scope of performing physiotherapy.

Low-intensity back pain can be cured using a combination of heat packs, ultrasound wave therapy and Iontophoresis (using a localized current source to introduce medical ionic compounds to the body).

A physical therapy program for back pain usually has two components:

Passive physical therapy to help reduce the patient's pain to a more manageable level

Active exercises

Passive Physical Therapy - Modalities

The physical therapist may focus on decreasing pain with passive physical therapy (modalities). These therapies are considered passive because they are done to the patient. Examples include:

Heat/ice packs

TENS units

Iontophoresis

Ultrasound

Active Physical Therapy - Back Pain Exercises

In addition to passive therapies, active physical therapy (exercise) is also necessary to rehabilitate the spine. Here are some of the common exercises for back pain:

Back Stretch: Put your hands underneath your head while lying back. Bend your knees but put your feet on the ground. Roll your legs to one side and hold them there for 10 seconds. Repeat three times for each side.

Deep Lunge: For this, you need to kneel on one knee with the other foot pointed towards the front. Lift the back knee up and hold it there for five seconds and then bring it down. Repeat this exercise three times for each side.

One Leg Stand: This is the simplest of exercises. Hold on to a wall for support while standing and face towards it. Then slowly hold one leg and bend it behind you. Hold in the same position for five seconds before bringing it down. Repeat the process three times for each leg in five second gaps.

Physiotherapy for Back Pain

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