Doctors warn about habits that cause back, neck and shoulder pain that many people have

Nowadays, many people still take the symptoms of back pain or neck and shoulder pain lightly. However, many cases are not just temporary pain but can be a sign of serious illness.

Specialist Doctor 1 Le Thi Thuy Hang, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City - Branch 3, said that the spine is a structure consisting of bones and connective tissue, which is strong and flexible, allowing people to bend, fold, tilt, and rotate. This structure not only helps protect the spinal cord but also supports the head and is a fulcrum for the ribs, pelvis, and muscles of the back and upper limbs. The segments of the spine include: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral spine.

“In daily life, the spine, especially the neck and lumbar regions, is subjected to great pressure from activities such as sitting for long periods of time, lifting heavy objects, or incorrect postures at work and in daily life. This causes diseases such as degeneration and herniated discs to frequently appear in these spinal segments,” said Dr. Thuy Hang.

Many local pains are signs of dangerous spinal diseases that need to be detected early.

Causes of back, neck and shoulder pain

Specifically, local pain in the back and neck area is explained by doctors with the following common causes:

Herniated disc : Occurs when the disc is displaced from its original position, causing compression on the nerve.

Spinal Degeneration : An aging condition of the spine that causes joints to become stiff and lose flexibility.

Muscle strain and injury : Can be caused by overexertion or accidents and collisions.

Incorrect posture : Sitting for long periods of time, bending over, or carrying heavy objects incorrectly puts pressure on the spine, leading to pain in certain areas.

The severity of pain depends on many factors such as age, gender, the patient's constitution, mechanical pressure from daily activities, and especially the accompanying medical conditions. Whether more or less, pain affects and even interrupts daily activities.

“For acute pain, patients often feel obvious pain, while chronic pain can be accompanied by symptoms such as numbness in the limbs if the nerve roots are compressed,” Dr. Thuy Hang shared.

Walking every day will help the spine become more flexible.

Do not lie in a hammock when you have back pain.

To prevent and alleviate symptoms of spinal pain, according to Dr. Le Thi Thuy Hang, patients need to pay attention to their lifestyle and daily habits.

First of all, you need to pay attention to your weight and lose weight if you are overweight or obese. This helps reduce the load on the spine, especially the lumbar region. Exercising with gentle exercises such as yoga, swimming and walking every day also helps the spine to be more flexible, while reducing the risk of degeneration.

During normal activities, people should avoid bending their backs, bending their necks too much, or carrying heavy objects, because this increases pressure on the spine, causing muscle tension, which in the long run will seriously affect the vertebrae in the body.

In addition, it is necessary to avoid sitting or standing for too long, doctors recommend that people change their positions every 45-60 minutes to reduce pressure on the spine. Avoid using mattresses that are too soft or lying in hammocks, because sagging mattresses and hammocks do not support the spine well, easily causing back pain, especially for the elderly.

Dr. Thuy Hang further warned that people with symptoms of back or neck pain should especially avoid taking drugs of unknown origin, as this can lead to many dangerous side effects. Patients should see a doctor immediately if they have signs of prolonged pain. More importantly, the doctor said that the care and prevention of spinal pain requires positive changes in lifestyle and living habits. Therefore, everyone should also pay attention to having a healthy lifestyle, contributing to improving the quality of life and protecting long-term health.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bac-si-canh-bao-cac-thoi-quen-gay-dau-lung-co-vai-gay-nhieu-nguoi-mac-phai-185241109081647554.htm