One year has passed since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19). Suddenly many restrictions have been placed on our normal daily life, which may have turned on a red light for our health as well. During the Lunar New Year holidays, where visiting hometowns and meetings with friends are difficult, let’s take a close look at the health of my family and myself, which I was missing. It’s okay if you don’t have medical knowledge. The JoongAng Ilbo has compiled five checklists for each family’s health abnormalities, don’t just pass it over, with the help of the name of each field at Asan Hospital in Seoul. The first is back pain. With the help of Professor Kim Won of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, we looked into how to protect the back health.
Taking care of family health with Seoul Asan Hospital①
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– It has been more than a year since Corona 19 hit Korea. Now, many office workers work from home instead of going to work, and students take online classes. ‘Zipkok’ (meaning that you are stuck in the house) increases the amount of time you spend living, reduces your physical activity, and spends most of the day watching TV or computer screens. Sitting in such a fixed position for a long time puts a strain on your back. If you have low back pain because your back is weak, the pain can get worse, and people with a healthy back can become low back pain patients if you live indoors for a long time. Incorrect posture is the main cause of spinal diseases, and prevention of spinal diseases through proper lifestyle is more important than treatment.
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7 to 90% of the average person experiences back pain at least once in their lifetime. Provided by Seoul Asan Hospital
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Back pain anyone can experience
– According to the Seoul Asan Hospital, 7 to 90% of ordinary people experience back pain at least once in their lifetime. Poor posture and lifestyle habits can cause minor neck and back pain when stress builds up on the disks, joints, and ligaments of the spine. If the posture and lifestyle are not corrected, the affected area becomes worn and worn, leading to degenerative changes, leading to intervertebral disc herniation, commonly referred to as’disc’, and spinal canal stenosis. Once the spine and surrounding structures are damaged, it is difficult to regenerate and occurs more often with age. Therefore, it should be prevented through posture correction and lifestyle improvement.
Maintain a curved S shape, the basics of back health
– The spine is a bow-shaped S-shaped (curved) that is least stressed when it maintains a normal curve. Inside the intervertebral discs (intervertebral discs), there is a shock absorbing material like jelly. It is wrapped in fibrous tissue again, allowing the spine to move while absorbing the impact of the body. It is a posture in which a lot of pressure is applied to the spine in a posture where the spine is bent forward while giving strength, like when lifting heavy objects or doing sit-ups. If this operation is repeated, disk degeneration may become severe.
Staying in a fixed position for a long time also worsens disk health. Since the disk has blood vessels only on the outside, it is impossible to supply nutrients directly through the blood vessels inside, and it is supplied by spreading nutrients supplied from the outside. Maintaining the correct posture and moving properly will improve nutritional supply.
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Prof. Won Kim of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Asan Hospital in Seoul is treating an elderly woman in her 70s who complains of low back pain. Provided by Seoul Asan Hospital
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When working or driving while sitting in a chair, keep your hips on the back of the chair as much as possible and keep your back curved. Avoid sitting on a chair or prone forward. If you straighten your back, your neck will go in naturally as if you were standing. If you sit on the floor, you should avoid it because your back and knees will bend excessively. If you sit for a long time, you should get up at least once every 30 minutes and turn your back lightly or walk around for a minute or two to reduce stress applied to the disk, increase nutrient supply, and relieve fatigue from surrounding muscles. Walking causes light movement of the lumbar disc and surrounding muscles. Sitting with legs crossed is not good because the posture is oriented to one side and the pressure is applied only to certain areas.
Walking in a crooked position is also bad for your spine. This is because the pressure on the disc gradually increases as the back and neck bend forward. The correct posture is when you walk with your shoulders straight and your head raised and your gaze facing the front. To keep the waist straight and maintain it, you need to lightly apply strength to your stomach. Since our bodies are all connected, when the shoulders are stretched out, the neck that came out like a turtle neck naturally enters and the waist is stretched. I feel pain, but stretching it excessively may be an excessive posture for the person, so you should straighten your back within the pain-free range.
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Prof. Won Kim of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Asan Hospital in Seoul is treating an elderly woman in her 70s who complains of low back pain. Provided by Seoul Asan Hospital
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You should also avoid bending your neck for a long time and looking at your smartphone. In particular, when looking at a smartphone or a computer monitor, the screen height should be adjusted so that you can work in front of you without bending your neck. It is also good to take a position to look at the sky by raising your head in the middle for about 10 seconds to reduce the pressure on the disk and turn your neck lightly or look left and right. You can prevent neck and shoulder pain by turning your shoulders lightly. Stretching with excessive neck bowing should be avoided as it increases the pressure on the disc.
What exercises to prevent back pain?
– Kim Won, a professor of rehabilitation medicine at Seoul Asan Hospital, recommended two exercises to prevent back pain. It is a light back rotation and a back-up exercise. To lightly turn your back, put your hands on your back in a standing position, and lightly rotate your hips in a circular motion. Repeat 5-10 times, and after repeating in one direction, return it in the opposite direction. In a standing position, you need to put your hands on your back and hold your back for 10 seconds. This exercise has the effect of reducing the pressure on your lumbar disc. If pain occurs during movement, it should be performed only within the range that does not hurt.
Reporter Lee Tae-yoon [email protected]
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