Young People and Back Pain

Sorry for the absence of posts. Here we go with an article from the Gulf Times

Number of younger people suffering back pain on rise
By Chitra Datta
YOUNGER people are suffering in increasing numbers with an affliction more commonly associated with old age – back pain.
According to a doctor, nearly 60% of the patients he sees have orthopaedic complaints.
Dr Nanda Kumar P, of Al Rafa Polyclinic, said: “Over the years, the number of patients coming to me has definitely soared. Various reasons contribute to that. The upsurge in the population in Qatar also has a role to play.”
According to the doctor, back sufferers range in age from 20 years old to 50.
He said: “Faulty posture, long hours of standing, slouching while sitting, carrying heavy weights, bending and sitting for long hours in front of the computer. All of these account for the majority of back problems in Qatar.
“Pregnancy in women causes backache and so does a pot belly in men. Traumatic causes of backaches arise from injury, falls, accidents, abscesses and inflammatory causes. Slip discs mainly happen due to the lifting of heavy weights or due to some injury.”
Chronic pain in the lower back is also a continuous source of irritation for some suffers.
Dr Kumar said: “Smoking, psychological morbidity, cardio pulmonary diseases and poor work conditions seem to be staging such chronic back pains. The low income groups including the labour class and domestic help are also quite vulnerable to this problem.”
Another common problem is osteoarthritis, which mainly afflicts patients over the age of 45 due to cartilage wear and tear – a problem often exacerbated by a sedentary lifestyle coupled with bad eating habits and obesity.
Dr Kumar explained: “Obesity is a crucial factor here. While standing the body weight is distributed equally on both legs. While in locomotion the weight-bearing joints take six times the weight of the whole body weight. So if the person is obese the hip, knees and ankles crumble under the pressure of excess weight. These people tend to develop osteoarthritis at an early age.
However, there is help available for back pain sufferers – and in some cases it is not too late to fix the damage.
Browny Mathew, a physiotherapist at Al Rafa Polyclinic, explained: “You can delay the degeneration process by physiotherapy and proper guidance. Wear and tear of joints is mitigated to a certain extent if correct postures, proper exercises, weight reduction and diet control are followed.”
Of course, the best way to prevent back pain is to live a healthy lifestyle.
Dr Siddiqui, a doctor from the UK, said: “Obesity leads to various medical problems. In a sedentary lifestyle there is not much movement of joints. If they stiffen up they will buy problems later on in life. Ankles, knees and hips are worst affected by excess weight. A lifestyle change is a must.”
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