Technology has brought a lot of relief in our lives and it is only due to technology that we are able to perform important tasks like shopping, banking, ticket booking, and flight/train/cab tracking at the click of a button. As it is rightly said in the Hollywood movie Spiderman – ‘With great power comes great responsibility’, the same dialogue also applies while using advancements like technology. Millennials, as well as adults in their early 30~40’s get so engrossed with their gadgets; they tend to forget other important aspects concerning their Lives! You got it right; we are talking about ‘Health’
With the advent of gadgets like computers and mobile phones, many people have started living a ‘sedentary lifestyle’. Though the long-term impact of living such a lifestyle might not be evident at an early stage, it can result in bigger problems in the future. By following a ‘not-so’ healthy lifestyle, many youngsters & adults are experiencing health issues which our adults used to encounter at an old age.
One such medical condition that is largely prevalent is ‘spine, back, and neck’ pain issues. In medical terms, it is called Spondylitis. In many cases, the patients who are diagnosed with that problem hurriedly get a surgery done but later, they realize that the surgery could have been avoided. In fact, if some doctor has recommended spine surgery, you should give it a second thought since the surgery can be avoided with timely physiotherapy. Spondylitis is a common problem involving the back, neck and is considered a common Arthritis condition that is more prevalent in young adults.
Spondylitis is a type of chronic inflammation of the spine & sacroiliac joints which are located at the lower back. You should not ignore early signs of Spondylitis since the pain & stickiness near the spine would increase with each passing day. Once the Spondylitis becomes chronic in nature, it can also affect the other parts of body namely – heart, lungs, and eyes. An advanced medical diagnostic tool like the DSA Test – Digital Spine Analysis now helps you measure the strength and mobility of all the elements of your spinal cord. DSA Test is considered a more advanced mechanism than X-Rays and MRIs.
Now that we have touched upon some of the basic aspects of Spondylitis, let’s have a look at some of the reasons why it happens
Wrong Posture
This is a common sight with people involved with sedentary jobs. They sit at their desk for a long time and in some cases, their posture would be completely wrong. They might be sitting in a hunched position.
Sitting in such a position that can cause flattening of the spine’s natural curve and could damage the disks located between those bones. Hence, it is recommended that you take frequent breaks, do simple stretching exercises, and walk for a couple of minutes before resuming work.
Eating or Over-eating
Along with adapting sedentary lifestyle, many of us who live in metros/cities eat junk/unhealthy food too often. Many nutritionists advise that breakfast should not be skipped but that does not mean that you should over-eat or eat junk food. Such kind of food would not have the right amount of nutrients, proteins, vitamins. They are good for your taste buds but consuming them regularly could lead to inflammation of the disks between the bones of your spine.
Continuous Working
Sitting for too long or working continuously could cause pain to your muscles, neck, back, and spine. No matter how interesting your work is, you should take short breaks from your work. Even though you love your office chair, leave it alone for some time by taking a break :).
Following an unhealthy lifestyle
It is a known fact that smoking can spoil your health and adversely affect vital organs like lungs. Do you know that it can also weaken the bones in your spine? Smoking reduces the blood flow in your body and this also includes the spine. You should avoid smoking at all costs. A healthy diet should be complemented with regular workouts.
If you are not able to make it to the gym; at least go for regular walking or jogging or cycling. Being physically active makes your entire body stronger, both physically as well as mentally!
Pain caused while driving/cycling
Going by vehicle [car/motorbike] has become a habit and many times, youngsters & adults take their vehicles even when their destination is close by. You would definitely reach faster, but it can take a toll on your spine & neck if you are following an incorrect posture while driving/biking.
If you are using your car for long-distance driving, it is recommended to have comfortable seat covers and maintain a good posture throughout the journey since the road ahead can be bumpy :).
These are some of the basic causes of Spondylitis and neck pain. It is recommended that diagnosis is done at an early stage and an advanced test like Digital Spine Analysis [DSA] can be helpful in diagnosis. DSA Test is a proprietary test that is only available at QISpine Clinic.
QI Spine clinic is a Spine clinic or to be precise, a Spine Specialist in Mumbai. The DSA Test highlights the weak tissue in the spine and also gives the information about the areas in the spine which are bearing more load. The DSA Test is completely automated where a computer controlled-device guides the body from different angles. The accuracy of the tests comes from the data that is supplied by different sensors in the device and close to 21 parameters are used to ensure there are zero chances of error. Their website also has a lot of informative material around Spin Health. They have an eminent team of specialized surgeons in their team, hence you can have complete trust in QI Spine Clinic for any Spine or Neck related concerns.
To summarize, by following a healthy lifestyle you can avoid spine & neck issues and in case you have those problems, surgery is not an answer to your problem; Spine Rehabilitation definitely is!