In the time of coronavirus pandemic, our physical activities have become restricted while work from home has increased for many. The time spent on mobile phones, social media, television and computers have also considerably extended. This has consequently led to strained back and neck. Nowadays, neck pain is emerging as one of the common problems among the people visiting clinics.
The new technologies, namely computers/mobile phones, have taken a toll on our neck and back health. Our spine is made of a column of bones. It has 33 vertebrae which are connected to each other with joints. Each vertebral segment creates a bony circle, known as the spinal canal that protects the spinal cord and nerves.
The aching neck and back leads to inefficiency and wastage of productive time and have accelerated degenerative changes in our spine. The sedentary spine ages early. Popping an overthe-counter painkiller tablet and helping yourself with temporary relief from pain are a wrong habit. Its regular intake is detrimental to our spine and health.
Neck muscle stiffness is usually caused by incorrect posture, sitting and working for too long without changing posture, sleeping with the neck in a bad posture and jerking of the neck by barbers. Our current lifestyle has taken a toll on the neck. Watching television for a long time in lying down posture and using laptops and mobile phones for a long duration are few of the after-effects of the pandemic. Our activities have made the mobile neck immobile.
Pain in the lower back is quite annoying. It is through improved posture and ergonomics that further injury to the spine can be prevented. Making certain changes in your lifestyle is also beneficial in reducing lower back pain. Some of the major lifestyle changes that must be incorporated include quitting smoking, improved posture and ergonomics, activity modifications and weight loss.
Your back muscles and your stomach should be strong and in good shape. It is crucial that the right-back exercises are performed every day for a few minutes to improve the strength of abdominal and back muscles. Injury to the back can be prevented by exercises that stretch and strengthen the muscles. The best and simple preventive treatment for providing relief from back pain is regular exercise.
Consult a doctor when there is persistent numbness, tingling and weakness of hands or legs; severe neck pain; the ache radiates down the shoulders/hands/legs or continues for several days.
Dos:
• Maintain proper posture while sitting and lying down
• Regular exercise and yoga
• Give rest to the neck and do exercises frequently, while using computers for a very long duration. Stretching exercise for neck and back while continuously using mobile phones and computers for over 30 minutes
• Keep your computer/laptop screen at eye level
Don’ts:
• Use very thick pillows
• Continuously spending time on mobile phones and computers for over 30 minutes
• Excessive use of mobile phones and tucking the phone between the ear and shoulder
• Smoking
The writer is a Consultant Neurosurgeon at Indian Spinal Injuries Centre in New Delhi.