Common situations in daily life, such as an improperly set up workspace, constantly bending over smartphones or tablets, and engaging in repetitive movements like bending and twisting while taking care of children and managing a busy household, can all contribute to these problems.

Regrettably, these habits can lead to a range of aches and pains that intensify over time, eventually resulting in chronic musculoskeletal discomfort. Janice Chan Vey Lian, Deputy Director at the Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the International Medical University (IMU), emphasizes the significance of addressing these issues in conjunction with World Spine Day 2023, an annual event held on 16 October aimed at raising awareness about spinal health. She sheds light on ways to alleviate and prevent back pain, using the acronym S.T.O.P., and provides these tips to “stop” backpain.

S = Sit Up Straight and Stretch!

The main factors involved are poor posture and lifestyle habits, as we are often not conscious about our posture and the way we carry out daily tasks, from the way we use digital devices to how we lift and/or bear heavy things. In many instances, this is compounded by pandemic-related disruptions such as studying/working from home as well as changes in our lifestyle and career that we were not well-prepared for. To help prevent musculoskeletal pain, we need to be mentally aware of our posture. As simple as it sounds, sitting up straight and stretching regularly can help.

T = Take a break

The theme for World Spine Day 2023 is ‘Move Your Spine’. While most people already understand that they need to move regularly, this needs to translate into action so Janice advises setting a timer for scheduled reminders to get up and move your spine.

O = Organise

Try some of these tips from Janice to organise your home and work space for better posture:
• Adjust the height of your computer screen to eye level using books or sturdy boxes
• Enlarge the view and brightness of your screen so you can see and read without having to lean forward
• Use a chair with good back support, placed at a height that allows your feet to rest flat on the floor with knees bent at a 90-degree angle
• Use a stool to avoid squatting while gardening or bathing babies
• Place needed items within easy reach to minimise bending and/or twisting at the waist. For example, parents of babies and young children can sit on the bed to change diapers instead of standing and bending over at the waist
• Manage heavy loads by packing lightly and/or using a bag made of a lighter material.
• Distribute weight evenly. As a general rule, Janice advises carrying less than 10% of our body weight, evenly distributed across both shoulders. Backpacks (when worn properly) allow both shoulders to bear the weight or switch sides regularly when carrying a handbag or tote
• Carry smaller or lighter loads and make several trips rather than lifting one large, heavy load
• Use the correct posture – lift using your knees, place frequently used items as close to you as possible, and place heavy items on higher levels
• Learn proper fitness and exercise techniques by enlisting the help of a trainer; if needed, ask their advice on how to modify your workout to prevent strain or injury

P = seek professional help

No quick fix for backpain

“Many people who see a chiropractor have problems like scoliosis and back pain. We help to identify likely problems and recommend ways to improve spine health. These may include alignment of the spine, helping to improve your range of movement, optimising the way you perform your daily tasks, or changing the way your working space is organised to reduce overall strain on your body and prevent injury,” explained Janice.

She also advised, “Many people are looking for a quick solution but it must be understood that most types of musculoskeletal pain are built up over time hence it will take time to address these problems. The good thing is, these changes need not be drastic or expensive. I always advise small adjustments that are immediate and sustainable which you can do right now, with what you have around the house.”

Lastly, she added, “The most important thing is for patients to communicate their problems, needs and expectations for treatment. Many times, patients are reluctant to speak up and this will impact the outcome, so my number one advice would be: Make sure you are clear about what you want and if you are not sure, keep asking.”

When it is time to see a chiropractor

Among younger adults, scoliosis is a common complaint while for older patients it is usually back pain. Overall, many people come with unspecified back pain, especially those who have suffered with it for a long time and have not found sufficient relief from other options. A chiropractor can help to address long-standing problems like these and improve overall well-being.

How can a chiropractor help (and is it the same as a physiotherapist) – A chiropractic specialist can help to relieve a wide range of musculoskeletal pain. These may include alignment of the spine, helping to improve your range of movement, optimising the way you perform your daily tasks, or changing the way your working space is organised to reduce overall strain on your body, and prevent injuries. Chiropractors focus more on musculoskeletal problems while physiotherapists are more often involved in rehabilitation and training. Both of these practices may also function concurrently, depending on the needs of the patient.

Finding a chiropractor – Chiropractors are registered and recognised by the Ministry of Health Malaysia, and all licensed practitioners will soon be listed on the official portal of the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Division.

What to expect from their first session – The chiropractor will conduct a medical history assessment which will include psychosocial questions to get a better idea of your personal and work life that may have an impact on your musculoskeletal health. You will be given a medical gown and the chiropractor will conduct a physical examination. This includes observing the way you walk and testing your range of motion. The chiropractor will also conduct some tests to stress and evaluate the joint for any restrictions.

Based on the physical examination, the likely causes will be identified and addressed. Your medical history will also be taken into account, as certain chronic conditions could impact the type of interventions.

What to bring when seeing chiropractor – You may bring along anything related to your medical history that might give your chiropractor insights into your medical history such as recent blood tests or scans.

How many sessions are needed – The number of sessions as well as the frequency would depend on the individual’s need. In acute situations, such as after an accident or sports injury, the goal is recovery so the sessions would be more frequent. Others may need to have their sessions spaced out over a longer period.

Health Care Asia
Home

Results of the first study looking at how a particular hydrogel could be used in humans reveals a promising treatment for chronic lower back pain caused by degenerative disc disease (DDD). The specially developed hydrogel cushions the vertebrae in the same way as natural spinal discs, and also features similar biomechanical properties, unlike prosthetics, to provide ample support.

The new injectable hydrogel, known as Hydrafil, is developed by medical company ReGelTec – it received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration in 2020 as a breakthrough innovation, and continued to perform exceptionally well in its most recent clinical trial.

According to company medical advisor Dr. Douglas P. Beall, who is also the Chief of Radiology Services at Clinical Radiology of Oklahoma, “The gel is easy to administer, requires no open surgery, and is an easy procedure for the patient […] this procedure may be a very promising treatment for chronic low back pain in those who’ve found insufficient relief from conservative care.”

Scientists enrolled 20 patients, aged 22 to 69, with chronic DDD and low back pain. Each patient described their pain as four or higher on the 10-point scale but had not found more than mild relief from conservative care, which includes rest, analgesics, physical therapy, and/or back braces.

In only six months, all patients reported back with significantly less low back pain—declining from an average self-reported pain level of 7.1 down to 2.0 on a scale of zero to 10. They also experienced greatly improved physical function, with average scores falling from 48 to 6 on a questionnaire to gauge how low back pain prevented patients from carrying out normal activities.

Spinal discs play an important role in cushioning the vertebrae and providing structural support, but will unfortunately wear out with age, resulting in DDD. This hydrogel may mitigate a serious problem should further and larger clinical studies show as much promise.

Health Care Asia Home

Injectable gel implant seen to greatly reduce chronic back pain

Senolytic drugs, part of a new class of anti-aging medication, has been found to prevent age-related deterioration of spinal discs in animal experiments. Senolytic drugs work by removing destructive senescent cells which accumulate in all living tissues with age, essentially accelerating the aging process. Recent research findings by regenerative medicine and biomedical engineering specialists are hoped to guide more functional treatments – particularly for back pain –using senolytic drugs, as well as improve the human healthspan, or the amount of our lives we spend healthy.

Age-related back pain is a common ailment and one in direct conflict with the idea of a lengthy healthspan: chronic back pain afflicting adults is tied to the deterioration of spinal discs that offer support for the vertebrae. Surgery and steroid injections may treat back pain caused by disc degeneration; however prolonged use of opioid-based injections, especially, run the risk of addiction.

Read also: Pay attention to spine ergonomics to avoid neck and back pain

Dr. Makarand Risbud, Co-director of the cell biology and regenerative medicine graduate programmeatThomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, US, and colleagues have shown that treatment with a cocktail of senolytic drugs promises “a novel preventative approach” to spinal disc degeneration in mice.

In the experiments, young, middle-aged, and elderly mice were all injected weekly with senolytic drugs consisting of dasatinib and quercetin. The two drugs are currently the subject of clinical trials for treating scarred lung tissue.At the end, the treatment did indeed have an effect, albeit unexpected.

It was anticipated that the drugs would have the most profound effect on the older animals with larger concentrations of senescent cells, but it was the younger animals that experienced the greatest benefit. These, along with the middle-aged mice, showed less disc degeneration and featured fewer senescent cells by the time they reached old age than a group of control mice given a placebo.

“We anticipated that in tissues with a lot of senescence, removing the senescent cells would make a big difference, but it didn’t,” admittedDr. Risbud. “The therapy was most effective when we started treating the mice when those senescent cells were just beginning to emerge. Our findings show that if given early, senolytic drugs can [actually] slow disc degeneration.”

While the data showed that the drug cocktail is well-tolerated in mice, Dr. Risbud expects human recipients to need the drug injections over a longer period for it to be effective.

“The majority of cases of lower back pain respond to simple physical and psychological therapies that keep people active and enable them to stay at work,” the study which was published in the medical journal The Lancet said.

“Often, however, it is more aggressive treatments of dubious benefit that are promoted and reimbursed.”

Evidence suggests that low back pain should be managed in primary healthcare, with the first line of treatment being education and advice for patients to keep active and at work, said the journal, which published the researchers’ findings.

However, “a high proportion of patients worldwide are treated in emergency departments, encouraged to rest and stop work, are commonly referred for scans or surgery or prescribed pain killers including opioids, which are discouraged for treating low back pain,” the report said.

Low back pain is a growing global problem that affects all age groups and is generally associated with sedentary occupations, smoking, obesity, and low socioeconomic status. It affects 540 million people worldwide.

Back pain is the most prevalent type of pain, according to a study carried out in India. It is also a common problem among computer users, especially women.  The study observed that working in a prolonged period of time in an improper work station can cause workers to suffer more discomfort in the lower back and the upper extremities (including neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist and arm) of the body.

In another study, sitting upright or slouched over for 10 minutes strained the erector muscles, which run along the side of the spinal column. It also compressed the interverterbral discs in the lower back, resulting in 20% water loss from the jelly-like central part of the disc, which acts as a ball bearing.

Studies such as Dash & Ghosh (2010) and Bashir (2006), document the usual culprits of back pain and other musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Yet despite all these, a lot of companies are still not willing to invest in ergonomically-sound work processes and equipment.

Even if the costs and adverse affect on a company’s bottom line have been well documented, some CEOs perceive ergonomics as a costly trend in office furniture.

It’s more than just design trend

That is a misconception that Bambach Saddle Seat hopes to erase.  Like most ergonomically-sound office furniture, the saddle seat comes with a premium price.

“Most customers are worried about the price but once they sit on a Bambach saddle seat, they understand right away why it is an investment,” says Joyce Lacey of M & J consultants, Bambach’s distributing arm in Southeast Asia.

The Australian-based company actively promotes a healthier work environment by introducing ergonomically correct office furniture, in this case seats, in the workplace. According to Lacey, most back pains are developed from bad sitting posture. Common office chairs however do not distribute the weight properly.

The British Chiropractic Association says that sitting was known to contribute to lower back pain. About 32% of the population spends more than 10 hours a day seated, and half do not leave their desks. They conclude that the human body is not meant to sit for such prolonged periods of time.

“In conventional seating, the centre of gravity is behind the seat bones with the pelvis rolled back and the lumbar spinal curve flattened, necessitating stressful muscular activity to maintain the upright position for work,” Lacey explains.

The idea of the Bambach saddle seat came to occupational therapist and horsewoman, Mary Gale. She found out that some patients could balance quiet independently on horseback and assume a symmetrical position. It occurred to Gale that if she could replicate the saddle position, where the spine is able to assume its natural curves, she would create an ideal seat for therapy as well as for task seating.

Riding on a pink vinyl leather saddle seat, Lacey demonstrates how the seat makes a total difference to a sitter’s posture, “It is the ideal sitting posture,” she shows off the natural curve of her back. “The hip joints rest in a relaxed open position and the spine is in perfect balance. The unique seat contour ensures you’ll bend forward from your hips, not from your back.”

With a Bambach saddle seat, the user’s hips are well balanced, causing the spine to retain its natural position for hours.

In a related study, the straddle position with knees apart has preventive value against future hip diseases. According to Prof. Dr. G. Schumoe, Orthopaedic University Hospital, Germany, hip abduction ensures that hip joints are in their ideal alignment in their sockets.

Looking at the saddle seat, it has some similarities with a bicycle seat. Asked if bicycle seats give the same effect, Lacey said that the latter provide little support to the mass of the buttocks. “It can be uncomfortable over a long period of time because it doesn’t give enough stability.”

The Bambach saddle seat was originally designed for handicapped children

“Anyone who has spent so much of their time sitting in an office will surely agree with me,” says Lacey. The company’s saddle seats are mostly used by medical practitioners such as dentists and are also ideal for disabled children. It also offers other benefits such as improved breathing and blood flow, enhanced muscle tone and optimised user functionality.

The Bambach saddle seat is available in four seat sizes, various colours and with and with or without backrest. According to Lacey, the seat comes with warranty*and its mechanical features, for instance height adjustor, is made of premium quality material.

*Warranty varies, please check with your local distributor.