Dr. Shabnam

Some people always get low back pain when standing in one place for a long time. Just as occurs when we are sitting for long periods,when we stand for long periods, the muscles that support us tire and relax, allowing us to slouch. When we stand relaxed, however,the lordosis becomes excessive and the low back hangs in an extreme position. 

This is exactly the opposite position to that adopted by the spine when we sit slouched. It is not possible to stand in this way for long periods as the excessive lordosis is a position of strain. If your low back pain is produced during prolonged standing, you will find relief by correcting your standing posture.

Correction of the Standing Posture

To stand correctly, you must hold your low back in a position of reduced lordosis. To find this position, you must first stand relaxed. Allow the chest to sag and the abdomen to protrude slightly; this will place the lower lumbar joints in an extreme lordosis. Now reduce the lordosis by standing as tall as you can. Lift the chest up, pull in your stomach muscles and tighten your buttocks.

You have now reached the correct standing posture.When standing like this, you reduce the lordosis with your own muscular effort.To begin with you will find it difficult to effectively hold this position, but with practice you can learn to stand in this new position for long periods without discomfort.

A fracture separates a single solid object into two or more pieces due to pressure. In medical terms, a fracture refers to a broken bone due to some kind of external trauma. A crack in the bone, on the other hand, it does not cause a clean break in the bone, there is only a separation or discontinuity in the bone material.

A crack in the bone caused due to repeated stress is often called as 'hairline fracture'. Here are the basic differences between a crack and a fracture in the bone and how to treat them:

1. A crack or hairline fracture is rarely caused by a single injury. It is usually the result of bone fatigue, which may be caused due to repeated, concentrated stress over a long period of time and thus, it is also called as 'stress fracture'. Other bone fractures are almost always the result of sudden and severe force on the bones.
2. The skeletal system constantly remodels itself. The cells, known as 'osteoblasts' absorb calcium and secrete bone connective tissue. If a particular site is exposed to recurrent bouts of force (which are individually not impactful enough to cause a crack), over time the osteoblasts in that region malfunction and the crack appears. Muscular exhaustion can also cause cracks in the bone. Fractures are caused due to sudden external single force trauma to the bone. Nutritional problems like deficiencies of Calcium, Phosphorus, vitamin D and excessive smoking decrease the bone mineral density and increase the chance of both cracks and fractures.
3. Symptoms of a crack are swelling, tenderness and sharp pain in the injured region and the symptoms worsen over time. A fracture has similar symptoms and might also exhibit an external physical distortion and makes it impossible to move that part of the body that where the bone is broken.
4. An MRI is often suggested for detecting the crack or crack-prone areas because an X-ray can only detect the crack after it widens somewhat or the bone starts paining because the rays cannot pass through the tiny gap in bone material. A fracture is easily detectable by an X-ray because the rays pass right through the break.
5. Complete rest for six to eight weeks is the most effective way of healing a crack. Using a walking boot in case of cracks in the leg bones in also helpful. Healing fractures require extensive medical intervention. Surgical techniques like bone grafting and the insertion of metal plates are used to reposition the broken bone.