Spine consists of 33 bones and every two bones are connected with each other by three joints (bearings). For these joints, movement is life. If they don’t move for a while, they get jammed and then they break on attempted /forced movement. So, flexible spine resists injury/damage while the stiff spine breaks with the smallest of jerks. The permanent solution is to keep all the joints (bearings) in the spine mobile everyday and get back the flexibility by gradual stretching in the form of Iyengar Yoga.
Dr. S. Vidyadhara, Chairman & HOD, Spine Surgery and Consultant, Robotic Spine Surgery, Manipal Hospital Old Airport Road, Bengaluru, says, “Yoga has been proven scientifically to be the best way to cure chronic back/neck pain. Iyengar yoga increases the flexibility of the spine as well as reduces the stress. Thus it targets both (physical and psychological) components of back/neck pain. Start on yoga once pain subsides and continue for the rest of life. It is a way of life and not an exercise.”
Importance of a Mattress
Anand Nichani, Managing Director, Magniflex India, says, “Mattresses play a vital role in supporting our back and spine. A good patented Stretch mattress uses the pressure applied by the body and distributes the weight across the entire mattress. A good quality mattress has tilted sections that move in opposite directions to support the back, and it gently stretches the body and spine from the lower back area to the neck and down to the feet. The space between the vertebrae is increased by this action. It helps relieve muscle tension and contractions, alleviating neck and back pain and improving blood circulation.”
If you suffer from back and spine issues, the mattress you pick should be designed to provide optimal support and comfort for your spine and body, especially when lying down. “Special Stretch mattresses are typically created to promote good spinal alignment and relieve pressure points, especially for individuals suffering from orthopaedic issues or those seeking improved sleep quality,” adds Nichani.
Spinal Ailments
“Rest = Rust”. Today the scientific world believes in Active rest when in pain and not absolute rest. Respect pain, be within its limits and do everything.
“Spinal ailments are on the rise across the whole range of patients (paediatric to geriatric) irrespective of caste, sex, creed, ethnicity etc with addition of 10% new patients presenting to hospitals for back related issues every year,” adds Dr Vidyadhara.
Even today we see increasing number of kids having spinal issues because of poor food habits, lack of sunlight & no physical activity.
Ladies do suffer from back issues post-delivery because of weight gain and post-menopausal ladies due to osteoporosis.
Younger people with increasing screen time, poor posture, and desk jobs are all adding fuel to the problem of increasing neck and back issues.
Elderly patients develop back problems due to trivial falls or variety of diseases including cancers either primary or secondary.
On this World Spine Day, “I would like to advise people to care about sunlight, diet, vitamin supplementation, exercise in the form of yoga, and preventive diagnostic tests to detect osteoporosis and cancers in early stages for better treatment,” signs off Dr Vidyadhara.
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