Back Pain / Slipped Disc / Herniated Disc
Back pain is prevalent among white-collar workers. Prolonged sitting with poor posture will
cause your pelvic area to misalign as it tightens and strains your back muscles and that put
lots of undue stress on the spinal discs. Back pain can also be triggered by carrying heavy
things while having weak and tight muscles, accidents, obesity, pregnancy or sports injuries.
For pregnant women, prolonged poor posture and habits will cause them more back pain.
Back pain for pregnant women often gets worse towards the end of the day or if they have
been standing for a long period of time. This is due to the muscles becoming tired easily and
their ligaments stretching slightly from the combined weight of the mother and foetus.
According to Back Society Singapore, 1 in 5 Singaporean adults suffer from neck and back
pain.
The Spine
The spine is made up of bones, also known as the vertebrae. Each vertebra has cartilage discs
between them. The spine is connected to the ribs at the chest and is divided into three parts:
- Neck (cervical vertebrae)
- Chest (thoracic vertebrae)
- The lower back (lumbar vertebrae)
The spinal discs consist of a circle of connective tissues with a central gel-like core. This
makes the spine flexible and also acts as a shock absorber. At the centre of this column of
vertebrae and discs is the spinal canal, which contains the spinal cord and a bundle of nerve
fibres stretching down towards the sacrum. The sacrum is a large irregular triangular-shaped
bone made up of the five fused vertebrae below the lumbar region and is known as the lower
spine. The sacrum is inserted like a wedge between the two pelvic bones and is held together
by the two sacroiliac joints.
Many back pain sufferers usually feel the pain where the lumbar and sacral region of the
spine connect because this region is subjected to a large amount of stress due to bad postural
habits or strenuous activities.
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine to the side which causes compression to one
side of the body. This in turn brings about an uneven height to the shoulders, waist and hip
which results in severe back, shoulder and neck pain if left untreated. When the curvature
gets worse, the spine will be rotated and twisted and will eventually cause the ribs to stick
out to one side and creates a hump on your back. In severe cases, the curve may restrict
the amount of space available for the internal lungs, especially the heart and lungs to work,
leading to poor circulation, breathing problems and chronic pains.
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