It professional Ravi was thrilled when he learnt he could work from home. Three months down the line, he is regretting every bit of it. The ease of working from home cannot compensate for workplace ergonomics that keeps our body’s alignment in check. Negligence can lead to serious health issues. And that’s what 26-year-old Ravi feared when he began experiencing excruciating pain in his back and stiffness in his neck.
There was numbness in his fingers too that made him panic. Finally, he saw a doctor. All his issues were summed up in one word—bad posture. But the doctor forewarned him. This change in work patterns could have serious implications if he didn’t take proper care.
In Ravi's case, like with many others, what’s made matters worse is the deadly cocktail of stress, anxiety and worry. Will they be fired? How will they pay the bills? What if they contracted the virus?
"These emotions directly lead to orthopaedic disorders. Most of the people visiting us these days are young professionals with bad posture-related issues that have been aggravated by psychological factors," says Dr HS Chhabra, Chief of Spine Services and Medical Director at Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, Delhi.
Slouching is more harmful than you think. It puts tremendous pressure on the neck, upper, and lower back. "If you’re careless, it may lead to cervical-lumbar spondylosis, a condition where the pain travels down to the hands and fingers. Numbness, giddiness, weakness, tingling… are all its symptoms," says Dr Himanshu Tyagi, Senior Spine Consultant and Orthopaedic Surgeon, at the Artemis Hospital, Gurugram.
Once it becomes chronic, as it often does, it leads to mental illnesses. For instance, if you work in frustration, your back will store all that anger and start creating pain. Similarly, intestine and stomach problems are linked with fear. Constantly feeling hurt creates heart problems, while being stressed due to too many responsibilities manifests as neck and shoulder aches.
These can lead to breathing issues as well. Lack of ergonomic seating arrangements at home, excess use of electronic gadgets and not paying attention to posture lead to poor physiology. What does this all lead to? A host of lifestyle disorders that, till a few years ago, were not on the radar of health concerns. Text Neck syndrome is one such. It’s caused by excessive use of handheld devices.
Turtle Neck Posture or Anterior Head syndrome is common too. It leads to misalignment of the spine, whereby the head positions itself abnormally ahead of the shoulders. The most commonly found disorder among youngsters is the Smartphone Thumb or Tendinitis, which leads to inflammation of the tendon that bends and flexes your thumb.
Then there is the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome that causes pain and numbness in the hands and arms. It’s caused by an overuse of the wrists while typing and can reduce the effectiveness of the hands. Similarly, Tennis Elbow develops when there are repetitive or vigorous arm movements.
"Most OPD patients I see these days complain of one of these syndromes. Sadly, most of them are young professionals between the age group of 22 to 45 years," says Dr Tyagi. Not to mention, the boogeyman we’re always trying to shrug behind tough demeanours—stress.
"This is one of the major factors that leads to these conditions, or the worsening of existing ones," says Dr HS Chhabra, Chief of Spine Services and Medical Director
at Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, Delhi.
So, here’s what you can do. Start by stopping a few things, specially working on the bed, or the couch. Don’t look down continuously into your mobile screens or laptops. Provide your arms and hands with enough support.
"Restrict the use of mobile phones to 20-30 minutes in a single stretch. Try to bring your mobile phone to the level of your neck rather than bending your neck downwards all the time. Type shorter texts. Use ‘speech to text’ apps if you want to type a long message. Always use both your hands while using your phone," says Dr Kaushal Kant Misra, Director, Orthopaedics, Primus, Delhi.
He also emphasises the importance of taking a five-minute break after sitting in front of the computer for 40 minutes. "You must perform wrist and finger stretches at regular intervals. While working on
a desk, use a pillow under your lower back to support the lumbar spine. Put together a sitting arrangement where the screen of the laptop is just below eye level," he shares. Because good health is worth every little effort.
Keep in mind
Bad posture can lead to breathing problems as it affects the amount of air taken into the lungs
It can cause pelvic pain that, in turn, can lead to urine retention or incontinence, even
constipation
Slouching can cause digestive issues as it compresses the abdominal organs