CARE FOR YOUR SPINE

                 

Many people of different ages and occupations complain of back pain which has been a major limitation to their daily activities and participation.

Excluding the elderly population; the remaining groups of ages also face the same problem of back pain regardless of their physical activeness. Some of the causes of back pain are;
    (i) Fault/bad posture when sitting, standing even when sleeping
   (ii) Incorrect positions during activities such as lifting objects from the ground

  (iii) Mechanical stresses to sensitive structures and from muscle tension(tight muscles)
  (iv) Weakness of the muscles which help to maintain the erect posture of the spine.
  (v) Pathologies affecting the spinal structure.
  (vi)  Compression on the nerves. 
  (vii) Age and overuse of the spine result in progressive and gradual degenerative changes in the spine.

Prolonged habits of fault posture result in an imbalance of muscle usage. Some muscles are overworked, while others work minimally to maintain body alignment. The changes occurring due to fault posture habits are difficult to re-correct.

The whole body works as a chain, when one joint is overstressed the changes occur in multiple joints.

Let us now focus on the easy tips for caring for your spine and getting rid of back pain
  1. Ensure good posture when sitting
Especially people who spend a long time sitting; should ensure that the spine is kept erect to avoid overstressing back muscles and other sensitive structures of the spine.
Lower back should be supported and feet should be supported on the floor
Have regular breaks for doing stretches.

  2. Practice good lifting techniques.
During lifting the spine should be maintained straight; this reduces the risk of injuries.
The object should be kept near the body, bend at the knees not at the waist or the spine and avoid twisting the spine when lifting.
This ensures the locking of the spine and reduces the muscular force in lifting the object.
When going up the spine should be maintained straight and locked, shoulders and elbow fixed, and by the use of the leg muscle, you can straighten your knees and stand.

  3. Strengthening core muscles.
Strengthening improves the overall ability of the muscles to withstand stresses during vigorous activities and work in coordination with each other to maintain a correct posture.
Examples of the strengthening exercises include; 
     (a). Bridging exercise 
           Lie on your back and gently lift up your hips involving glutei.

     (b). Plank exercise for 15 to 30 seconds and progressively you can increase the time.
     (c). Weightlifting (progressively increasing the weight)

  4. Doing regular physical activities such as jogging, treadmill running, swimming and cycling
This type of exercise improves cardiac and respiratory ability. Poor cardiopulmonary endurance shows a relation with fault posture of the spine(upper back); therefore training respiratory muscles improves good posture and reduces chances of back pain.

  5. Ensuring good sleeping posture.
Many people have been complaining of back pain in the morning immediately after waking up, this can be caused by poor sleeping posture, poor mattress quality, and inappropriate pillow size.
The spine should be maintained straight throughout the sleeping time.

  6. Doing mobility and flexibility exercise
Doing gentle stretches of muscles ensures mobility and flexibility of the spine. example the tightness of the thigh muscles(hamstrings or quadriceps) can cause back pain since joints work as a chain; therefore gentle stretches of these muscles ensure the balance of the forces in maintaining a good posture.

    7. Avoid overworking the spine.
Carrying very heavy loads compresses the spine which can evoke pain due to the damage to the spinal discs(soft tissues separating between the vertebral bones)
Overstressing the spine can result in the tears of the soft tissues which contribute to the spinal stability.

"The more you care about it the longer it lasts" 

When the pain is caused by a recent trauma/injury, pathologies, and congenital reasons; you should visit the doctor for an investigation of the root cause and appropriate measures, such as electrical modalities treatment, manual exercises, and surgery will be taken to eliminate the condition.

Thank you

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