Page 43 - Oct-Dec 2024 Edition

HEALTH FEATURE BACK TO HEALTH

Lack of Use refers to reduced activity particularly
of the spine, resulting in weak muscles unable What Causes Spinal Dysfunction?
to support normal function and reduced flexibility • Direct injury or Trauma—Accidents,
which can cause increased likelihood of sprains falls, Car crash, Sporting injuries, acts of
and strains during normal activity. The answer? violence
Stay active! Adults should be aiming for at least
150 minutes of physical activity a week. So, take • Disease
up a sport, play physical games, get a dog that
needs regular walks or go out dancing! • Age—From the time of skeletal maturity
(25—30 years old) our bones begin to
Misuse comes in various forms. Prolonged degenerate. This degeneration increases
postures, such as sitting or standing for too long with age.
are common causes of pain. More frequently,
we as humans are siting behind a desk for many • Misuse—Poor posture, repetitive
hours of the day. This is unnatural for our spine behaviours, overuse
and will ultimately lead to back issues in most • Lack of use—Keeping a healthy spine
people. Get up and move! It is recommended means keeping an active spine and a
that we move from a seated position every twenty healthy lifestyle.
minutes to prevent dysfunction and disease.
• A combination of the above and / or
related pshychological, and environmental
conditions.
through lifting or carrying something heavy. You
need to learn how to perform chores and activities
without putting undue stress on your system
Unhealthy Lifestyle. This denotes multiple
factors including psychological, environmental
and chemical. Here’s some examples of
unhealthy activities that can negatively impact our
spinal health;
Eating poorly, becoming dehydrated, Lack of
sleep, Smoking
Steps to take if you are suffering from back
pain
Poor posture. Poor posture whilst sitting, • Consult your Doctor, Chiropractor or
standing, sleeping, driving, lifting, using a phone, Physiotherapist, as soon as possible following
tablet or computer can all lead to and exacerbate the onset of pain, (it is far easier to solve an
dysfunction in the spine. We must learn to use the acute problem rather than a chronic pain).
correct postures for these activities. We will
discuss more on this in a later article. • Pain that is mechanical in nature (unrelated
to an underlying disease) is best treated
Overuse or overloading. Repetition of the through manual therapy such as that provided
same activity can cause strain on the joints by a Chiropractor, Physiotherapist, Massage
and muscles. In much the same way that your therapist or Acupuncture.
favourite song or movie would get annoying if it
was all you ever listened to or watched. Avoid • Your therapist can also teach you postural
repetitive behaviours and activities. Overloading exercises and ergonomics to rehabilitate
refers to putting stress on your joints and spine your spine and the associated muscles and
ligaments and aid to prevent recurrence.

For more information, please contact:
Back 2 Health Limited 150177 Kampala GPO, 1808 Moyo Close, Bukoto 1
+256 758 478 992 / +256 752 994 469 back2healthug@gmail.com @Back to Health Uganda (f)
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