Hyderabad: That seemingly comfortable office chair may just give you a chronic back problem requiring surgery if you are not taking proper precaution right now. Medical experts across Hyderabad’s private and government hospitals are reporting a spurt in chronic back problems among professionals in their forties.
With the city being a major IT hub where thousands of youngsters in their twenties and thirties working in 12-hour shifts,doctorswarn thatthey shouldstart worrying from now. From a negligible 5% of below 40 years suffering from back problems, the percentage has risen by around 50% in the past five years, which doctors attribute to rising obesity, lack of exercise and unhealthy food habits.
According to a just concluded study by AC Nielsen in 11 Indian cities, around 36% of people were above normal weight, and an alarming 23% of the people classified as healthy were on the verge of being overweight. With obesity spreading rapidly, the risk of spinal damage too is swiftly rising, doctors said.
Dr K Sanjay, spine surgeon at Yashoda Hospital, Secunderabad, said that five years ago he performed a total of seven to 10 corrective spine surgeries in a month, but now the figure has gone up to 40. Doctors at the state-run Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (Nims) say awareness about surgery has increased and affordability too has improved due to Aarogyasri scheme. “There has been a 30 to 40% jump in the number of patients opting for surgery in the past three years,” a surgeon said.
Such is the situation that Yashoda Hospital recently held a workshop on spine surgery for city doctors, with 160 specialistsdiscussing theuseof minimally invasive techniques for spinal procedures.“Thesuccess rateof this procedure is 99% and it has many benefits like minimum blood loss, lesser tissue damage, lower chances of infection, lesser use of drugs and quick recovery comparedtothe open surgery,” said Dr K Sanjay. Five of the 10 patients treated by Dr Sudhir Kumar, a neurologist at Apollo Hospital, are below 40, and have severe back problems due to lack of exercise. “Usually severe back problems are common in people above 50 years. But after I came to Hyderabad around nine years ago, I was shocked to see how many people in their 20’s and 30’s were suffering from severe back ache and disc collapse in which the pain radiatestothelegs,”hesaid.Onesuch patient, Kiran Mitra, a 21-year-old MNC employee from the city, said working in the 5.30 pm to 2.30 am shift for two months worsened his back pain. “Doctors have told me that my work pattern is a major cause,” he said.
Doctors say at least 5 minimally invasive surgeries are performed every month in the city with patients coming from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Rajashthan and a few arriving all the wayfrom Africa andWestAsia too.“Obesity is one the major reasons why younger people are suffering from back problems. Sitting in front of the computer for long hours, unhealthy diet, smoking and lack of exercise combined with riding the twowheeler on bumpy roads for long distances also contribute in these cases,” said Dr A Dinakar, orthopaedic surgeon at Sunshine Hospital.
HOW TO FIGHT PAIN
• Stretching the back and neck once every hour while in office
• Get up and walk about whenever you feel stress in the back and neck
• Squat to pick up objects
• Exercise for at least 20 minutes every day
• Eat healthy and keep your weight in check
• Avoid smoking
• Take a break during long two-wheeler rides on bumpy roads
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