Poor roads give city a pain in the back

BENGALURU: Health was not really a concer n for Rajendra (name changed), 32, a techie with an MNC, until he began suffering from immense pain in his spine, and gave up most of his regular activities, including his job. He was diagnosed with intervertebral disc disorder of the spine, and doctors blamed it on his long two-wheeler rides to work and back home.Shivani (name changed), 39, a media professional, noticed sudden stiffening of her spine and was soon unable to bend and move her shoulders, as pain would shoot down her spinal cord. Shivani quit her job after doctors said her journeys on ill-maintained city roads was responsible for the spine disorder.

City orthopaedics and spine surgeons say a large number of people aged between 30 and 45 seek treatment for spinal cord disorders. They point out that it is the middle-aged population that engages most in road journeys.

“Prolonged

road journeys take a toll on the spine

as the load on it is maximum in the sitting position, more than while standing. Travelling on two-wheelers and in autorickshaws on bad roads can be really bad for the spine,“ Dr Yogesh K Pithwa, senior consultant and spine surgeon at Hosmat Hospital, said.

Also, degenerative changes in the backbone set in during middle age.“They would have started developing degenerative changes in intervertebral discs, the `shock absorbers' of the spine. In fact, as people age beyond 45-50 years, these discs develop their own mechanisms to

tackle poor shock absorption

by throwing some extra bone around themselves in the form of osteophytes,“ he added.

There are other contributing factors too. “The workforce in the 30-45 age group is swelling. In the IT sector, workers spend the whole day in closed environments and lead a sedentary lifestyle -a lack of exercise, smoking habits and obesity makes them prone to back problems,“ said Dr Arjun Srivatsa, senior consultant neurosurgeon at Columbia Asia Hospitals.

According to Dr Amrithlal Mascarenhas, chief consultant and spine surgeon at St Martha's Hospital, the common forms of spine disorder include degenerative spinal problems, tuberculosis of the spine and osteoporosis of spinal bones, resulting in fractures and spinal cord compression with backache.

Dr Chandrashekar, consultant neurosurgeon at Sakra Institute of Neurosciences, said the authorities should work towards

improving road conditions

and create conducive conditions for motoring. “At the individual level, lifestyle modifications,

physical exercise

,

reducing body weight

and abstaining from tobacco are ways by which spine disorders can be avoided,“ he added.

Bengaluru sees the highest number (46%) of middleaged people going in for back and spine treatment, says OI Spine Clinic's World Spine Day 2017 insight report. The study was conducted on a sample size of 20,000 men and women across cities.

While 23% of the city's young population suffers from back and neck conditions, 46% of Bengalureans neglect their pain for more than seven weeks, exposing themselves to delayed treatment and risk of surgery.According to the study, 73% people try other treatments in vain, before spine rehabilitation.

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