Tips to avoid the problem of back and neck pain while driving

Long driving hours often cause stiffness in the back and neck. Also, sitting in the same position for long affects the blood circulation of our body and can cause severe back pain. People, many a times, modify their car seats on their own. For instance, removing the head rest which can be extremely risky as it makes your neck more prone to pain. Remember that our vehicles are designed in a way that they provide an ideal sitting posture to the driver. So, it is better not to modify the basic structure of seat that may lead to any spinal problem.

 

In case you consistently feel pain the back while driving, try changes in your posture while driving. First and foremost, it is important to sit in a posture where both your knees and hips are at the same level. Another thing, adjust your seat at an angle of 100 to 110 degrees, in order to support the upper part of your body. Following these tips can to a large extent help in preventing back pain.

Treating Spinal Tuberculosis

Timely diagnosis of Spinal Tuberculosis can help in better treatment. Today, various treatment modalities are available, be it surgical treatment or non surgical one. Surgical options for treatment of Spinal TB include decompression of spine. Whereas, non surgical treatments include draining of infected areas and immobilisation of spine for proper cure can be followed. One should take a diet rich in protein. Regular physiotherapy can also prove beneficial. Negligence can lead to humped back, distorted posture and permanent paralysis.

Diagnosing Spinal Tuberculosis

After identifying the preliminary symptoms of ‪Spinal Tuberculosis‬, consulting a specialist is advised. Your doctor may suggest you to conduct few ‪‎diagnostic procedures‬ like CT scans, MRI scans, a test of enthrocyte sedimentation rate and tuberculin skin test. 

Based on the results the line of treatment is decided. Various treatment options are available today in the form of operational and non-operational procedures. So, the sooner the problem is detected, the better for patient.

 

Spinal Tuberculosis: Symptoms to look out for

‎Back Pain‬ if accompanied with fever, night swears and anorexia for more than 3-4 weeks, it is time for you to visit a doctor immediately, as these are the primary ‪Symptoms of Spinal Tuberculosis‬. In addition to this, if your coughing continues for long due to which you are facing problems like weight loss, stiffness and ‪‎pain‬ in the limbs and difficulty in sitting or walking, please don't ignore. Consulting a doctor timely, can help in preventing further damage to the ‪spine‬, as lack of treatment can lead to spinal deformity like ‪kyphosis‬ or ‪Collapsed Spine‬.

Your Posture is the key towards a Healthy Back

The best way to avoid being affected by back pain is to maintain a Correct Body Posture. While sitting make sure that your back is in a straight position, so that no extra pressure is put on spine. While lifting heavy weight don't bent suddenly rather keep in mind Right Posture. Follow a regular exercise regime to enjoy the happiness of Healthy Back.

What causes the problem of Spondylolisthesis‬

#‎Spondylolisthesis‬ can be an outcome of some congenital defect like defective ‪#‎spinaljoint‬, or an accidental damage to a joint in the ‪#‎spine‬. But, there may be other reasons too for the development of this disease like ‪#‎VertebralFracture‬ due to extreme pressure on the joints, ‪#‎JointInfection‬, ‪#‎arthritis‬ etc.

Understanding spinal problem called Spondylolisthesis

Spondylolisthesis is a condition where a bone in the spine slips forward from its actual position and falls over the bone/vertebra below it. This problem is generally found in the lower back area leading to weakening of ligaments and joints, which play a major role in keeping the spinal cord aligned. In rare cases, this can also cause compression of nerve roots. The most primary symptom to identify Spondylolisthesis is back pain along with numbness or weakness felt in one or both the legs. 

Vitamin D deficiency can be bad for your Spinal Health

It is saddening to know that in a country like India, where there is ample amount of sunlight available, a large percentage of our population suffers from Vitamin D deficiency. Be it newborns, elderlies or even the younger age group; all are coming up with this problem. 

Vitamin D deficiency is the most common cause of the development of Osteopenia, which, if not treated in time can result in Osteoporosis. With diseases like Osteoporosis, problems like brittle bones and low bone density comes complementary. In fact, it has been noticed that a good percentage of people with Vitamin D deficiency, have unrecognized vertebral fractures. Besides, problems like hip pain, bone related diseases like arthritis, chronic pain, spinal curvature are other outcomes of Vitamin D deficiency.

Exercises for Rehabilitation of TNS

In the earlier posts, we have talked about Text Neck Syndrome (TNS) - how it is increasingly affecting a large number of people, its causes, symptoms and precautions to reduce the aggravation of this problem. To bring the series into conclusion, would like to talk about few exercises that can be performed as a part of the rehabilitation process. One needs to strengthen their core back and abdominal muscles, in order to support the upper body, especially, the neck. So, try to incorporate exercise into your daily routine which helps strengthen these core muscles. Secondly, perform exercises to increase the strength and flexibility of the neck muscles; this will help in minimizing excessive strain on the cervical spine. Last but not the least, performing these exercises will not only help in relieving the problems related to Text Neck Syndrome; but also promote overall health.

Habit of Frequent Texting can lead to Text Neck Syndrome

A new obsession has engulfed people these days, i.e frequent texting. Wherever we go, be it office, home or supermarket, we find everyone just looking down at their phones (hunched) and texting. This obsession has not just made people distant from the real world but has also lead to a new health problem called 'Text Neck Syndrome'. This problem has risen tremendously, with people from all age groups being affected by it. Due to this syndrome, a large number of people complain about problems like severe upper back pain, shoulder pain and muscle strain in the neck region. Especially young teenagers are becoming a victim to this problem which in the long run can cause permanent damage to their cervical spine, leading to lifetime neck pain.

Preventing chronic neck pain

Our neck bears a heavy load of our head which makes it more prone to various problems like chronic neck pain and cervical spondylitis. Our lifestyle and most importantly our posture, plays a very important role in preventing our neck pain. Making some simple stretching exercises a part of your daily routine can go a long way in preventing neck related problems.

 

Cigarette can damage Spine

Everybody knows that ‪smoking‬ is a health hazard, but people aren’t aware about the fact that smoking accelerate ‪Degenerative Disc Diseases‬ as well. Smokers are more prone to ‪backaches‬ and other ‪Spinal Problems‬ because ‎cigarette‬ contain ‪nicotine‬ that hardens the arteries, which further restricts the flow of blood to the discs that cushion your vertebrae. 

Surgery: A better way to relieve back pain

Generally, doctors suggest surgeries as the last option to relieve back pain. With the advancement in technology and highly skilled surgeons, surgeries today, offer greater results along with additional benefits like increased activity, better productivity at work, decreased dependency on pain relieving medicines and a better quality of life.

Heat Therapy, a wonder for Lower Back Pain

Heat therapy is a very effective way to relieve lower back pain. When we use heating instruments like heating pad, hot bottles, hot gel packs etc. these interact with the body to alleviate pain. Heat therapies do wonders for lower back pain caused by strenuous activities.

 

Start your day with warm up and stretching exercises

Proper warm-up and stretching is a key part of any exercise regimen. Where warm-up prevents injuries, stretching increases flexibility and improves the range of motion of the joints.

 

Easy workout tips for those suffering from Chronic Back Pain

Patients are advised to exercise but workout seems to be a nightmare while experiencing chronic back pain. You can overcome this problem by limiting your exercise routine to certain positions in which you are comfortable. Further if possible, lie on your back and try moving your limbs in all the directions. While doing this make sure that your focus is on strengthening your core.

 
With time, once you get comfortable, try indulging in basic movements like forward bending, side bending, arching and twisting in slow movements without exerting yourself.

Don't take leg pain too lightly!

Leg pain is generally ignored and often thought to be a problem caused by fatigue or restlessness. Though, in many cases this stands true, but if the pain stays for long and is accompanied by symptoms like burning pain, tingling sensation or weakness in leg; it should not be ignored. Leg pain is often an indication of an underlying lower back problem like Sciatica.

 

Perform strength training exercises to prevent back pain

Strength training exercises can be really effective in preventing back pain. These exercises strengthens the core muscles and helps them regaining the strength to carry out day to day activities. Squats are one the most easiest and effective strength training exercise. But make sure you do warm up exercises before starting up with any other exercise.

Precautionary tips for those suffering from joint pain

For those suffering from ailments like ‪Arthritis‬, ‪‎winters‬ are generally accompanied by ‎joint pain‬. Precautions if taken right from the start of the season can help in preventing this. Sharing below an article on the same carried in Himachal Dastak.

Stress and Back Pain are inter-related

For anyone who has been experiencing back pain knows how it affects his/her day to day life and often leads to situations like stress, anxiety, depression etc. But, do you know that it can be the other way round too? 

Researches have proven that in many cases, stress or depression too can cause back pain. When the stress level increases, the secretion of stress hormones too increases which leads to pressure on our muscles, causing muscle spasms and back pain like conditions.