Simple daily habits, such as hunching to read your smartphone, slouching in front of your computer can strain your spine and the surrounding muscles, leaving you vulnerable to serious back injury, says DR SADIYA VANJARA.
“But all i do is sit! How can sitting harm anyone?” said 31 year old Mr. Sharma. No history of injury, or fall or accident, X-rays clean, MRI (which was 90% done out of paranoia) was also clean.
“I just bent down to pick something and my back went” is what Sharma explained on asking how the pain started. Sounds familiar doesn’t it?
Hazards of “just sitting” are often underestimated. Simple daily ha
bits, such as hunching to read your smartphone, slouching in front of your computer – even having a weekend lie-in can, over time, can strain your spine and the surrounding muscles, leaving you vulnerable to serious back injury.
Culprits of Bad Postures that can induce Pain:
We often tend to believe it is bad luck if just a cough or a sneeze or a turning movement has caused pain. But actually it’s our behaviour in the months or years before, which has led to the weakness – and the one-off event is just an invariable consequence.
1) Frozen Sitting.
Forget heavy lifting – sitting hunched over a computer all day is one of the worst things you can do for your back. Research has found that people who do desk jobs suffer more back pain than those working in manual jobs where lots of lifting is involved. Using your joints and spine strengthens them, reducing risk of injury. But inactivity weakens them, which makes you more prone to problems.
2) Undergarments.
Latest figures portray around 80% of us wear a bra that doesn’t fit, which can cause several muscular problems. A bra that offers no support can lead to hunching and sore neck and back muscles, while one that gives proper support can help to minimise that forward hunch and relieve pain. Go for styles with wider shoulder straps or a racer-style back, which offer better support and encourage you to pull your shoulders back.
3) Your Potbelly
Even an extra couple of pounds around your middle makes your pelvis tilt forward and puts it out of alignment as your body works to rebalance itself. This means that your spine isn’t getting enough support from your abdominal muscles, which can cause excessive strain on your lower back.
4) Stress
Just like the rest of you, your back muscles will tense up when you start to feel you are under pressure. Muscles are designed to contract and relax but when you’re stressed, they may contract so much that they can eventually start going into spasm, which in turn will trigger pain. Stress also causes your levels of the hormone cortisol to soar, which increases inflammation in the body, making the problem worse.
5) High heels
Heels cause problems because they force your foot forward, altering the angle of your body so your weight isn’t evenly distributed over the spine, which can trigger pain from your knees all the way up to your back. Ensure your shoe holds your foot firmly in place to keep you stable and protect your back.
6) Your Smartphone
The head-down position that you use to look at phones, iPads and laptops strains the muscles in the neck and the pain can extend all the way down your spine and to your lower back. This is especially bad for you if you are using them for hours on end because your body will eventually start to adopt this hunched position.
Lets get to the root of problems and take active preventive measures, and let Prevention to precede Cure!
