Preface:
A survey data show that: human beings stand, sit in different postures, and bring the human body back to the intervertebral discs of different pressures, such as standing up to the intervertebral pressure of one hundred units to do the standard, when taking a standing position and bending to get the goods, the pressure rises to two hundred units, if you are sitting down to bend over to get the goods, the pressure is even higher than two hundred and seventy units! Five units! It can be seen that the more pressure to bear the posture, the more should not be used for too long. Because the longer the improper posture is used, the greater the damage to the backbone! And the pain of the stimulus, not only to make personal intolerable, but also make the patient can not work, live normally, and will cause the family and society as a whole significant productivity and national economic losses!
Of all the chronic pain patients, those with low back pain account for the highest percentage. In the past, Taiwan was an agrarian society where people worked hard and earned their living by farming or laboring, and the daily diet was mostly light and vegetable-based, with little fish, meat, or seafood and shark fins, so there were very few cases of chronic diseases or back pain. However, as we enter the 21st century, the life expectancy of human beings has increased and the society has entered into old age. People enjoy the prosperity and progress of the society, the pressure of work has doubled, the diet has been westernized and the amount of exercise has been reduced, so the physical ability and health of human beings have naturally declined! Aging, chronic diseases increase, back pain has been the people from all walks of life can not escape the pain!
Who is prone to back pain?
Workers and porters who are physically weak and do not exercise are the most susceptible to back pain! In fact, young people, adults and the elderly are all at risk. In particular, workers who are engaged in standing, sitting or bending to carry heavy objects for a long time, such as drivers, shopkeepers, porters, caregivers and computer users, are most likely to suffer from low back pain due to a fixed posture or improper posture; other factors may be internal anxiety, dissatisfaction with work or family disputes, or frequent insomnia. Long-term distress and depression will make the body and mind tense, and the long-term pressure on the back muscles will also cause muscle pain, and the pain will make the distress and anxiety aggravate!
How to treat back pain
1. Exercise therapy: Exercise can increase the flexibility of muscles and joints, as well as enhance the strength and endurance of the muscles, which in turn improves the circulation of blood and qi throughout the body and relieves physical and mental stress. Exercise can also help prevent aches and pains or help eliminate back pain, and is the most important and effective way to treat back pain. The best lightweight exercises are Tai Chi, Qigong and swimming.
2. Pushing and pressing therapy: Pushing and massaging helps release or reduce physical and mental stress and soothe tense muscles, so it is also one of the most important ways to eliminate back pain.
3. Traction therapy: For patients with herniated discs and lumbar foraminal stenosis, traction therapy can help open the distance between vertebrae, prevent bone spurs or cartilage from pressing on nerves, and help alleviate pain symptoms.
4. Acupuncture and moxibustion: Acupuncture and moxibustion can promote the circulation of qi and blood, and has an analgesic effect on the acute pain is quite effective. If you are a chronic lumbar muscle strain patient, you can apply localized warm moxibustion, which has the effect of relaxing the muscles and activating the muscles.
5. Physical therapy: This includes ultrasound, electrotherapy, and hot and cold compresses. Ultrasound can penetrate deep into the muscle tissues and generate heat, which can help relieve pain and swelling. Electrotherapy utilizes electrical stimulation to make muscle cells move regularly and relieve muscle hardening and throbbing pain. Cold compresses are suitable for acute pain within one or two days, and have the effect of relieving pain and swelling; while hot compresses are more suitable for chronic pain, and have the effect of improving local circulation and enhancing tissue recovery.
6. Medication: For localized bruising, swelling, heat and pain, external medication can be applied to activate blood circulation, reduce swelling and clear away heat; if there is no bruising and swelling, but there is pain, external ointment can be applied to the wound. Internal medication, generally non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers, the use of internal medication must first consult a physician.
In 1986, Americans suffered a loss of $79 billion due to pain, and there are no official statistics in Taiwan, but a rough estimate of the loss of one-tenth of the U.S. population in 1996 would be about $16 billion! This loss accounted for six percent of the GNP (see the data from the Office of the Comptroller), which is a significant loss that should be emphasized and controlled as much as possible by individuals, companies and the government!
It's not hard to avoid aches and pains and keep your body healthy as long as you stick to regular exercise. This is the reason why we all know, just to continue to exercise, it is really difficult, unless there is a disease, will start to exercise, and exercise only after the realization of its benefits. Therefore, we would like to make a special appeal to do exercise early to prevent back pain, after all, prevention is better than cure! We would also like to remind you to be aware of the prevention of sports injuries, and to choose light exercise - Tai Chi and Qigong - as a health care exercise to maintain your health.
Say bye-bye to back pain
Back pain is a common symptom of modern people, according to statistics from the Health Insurance Administration, the medical expenses in this area amounted to three billion dollars in 1987, and up to more than two million people have sought medical treatment for back pain, the Health Insurance Administration said the golden course of treatment for back pain is three months after the onset of the disease, so people with back pain should try to grasp this period of time for treatment, over The golden course of treatment, even if you accept the same rehabilitation program, the effect is far less than the immediate treatment to good.
In addition to a small number of medical conditions (such as gastrointestinal discomfort), the majority of upper and lower back pain syndromes are caused by inattention to posture, aging bone spurs, or external injuries, with the majority of cases being caused by poor posture and incorrect movement, resulting in excessive stress on the back.
So in order to prevent back pain, the best way is to avoid incorrect postures and to develop a regular exercise routine, especially for strengthening the endurance and flexibility of the muscles in the lower back.
The National Taiwan University Hospital Rehabilitation Department physician Lai Jin-Xin said, daily should develop regular exercise habits, exercise is to strengthen the body's health capital, and at the same time should be avoided in daily life in the incorrect posture.
In terms of avoiding incorrect posture, the key points that should be noted include: moving heavy objects or picking up things on the ground, as far as possible to bend the knees instead of bending over; not in an asymmetric posture to take things pull things or lift things; avoid maintaining the same posture for a long time, because any kind of static posture maintained for a period of time, the muscles of the part is easy to cause fatigue, and at this time, a slightly incorrect posture will be easy to strain the muscles. The reason for this is that after a period of time in any static position, the muscles in the area will easily become fatigued, and a slightly incorrect posture will easily strain the muscles.
As for the treatment guidelines, "pain" is the signal of the beginning of the disease, especially musculoskeletal, as soon as the pain occurs, the first thing to do is to take a rest immediately, so as not to aggravate the further injury. The first thing to do when pain occurs is to rest immediately so as not to aggravate further injury. Then, see a trained rehabilitation specialist (e.g., rehabilitation, orthopedics, neurology, or orthopedic surgery) for a detailed examination, diagnosis, and treatment. If there are no symptoms of nerve compression, localized heat therapy or electrotherapy should be used for 20 minutes daily until symptoms improve. However, it should be noted that heat therapy, especially electrotherapy, is not suitable to be used when suffering from long cancer in the spinal cord cavity, metastatic bone cancer or infectious spondylitis. (By Lin Jia-liang)
Low back pain: A sign of cumulative injury
Many housewives have been doing housework for a long time in incorrect postures, which can easily lead to cumulative injuries and chronic symptoms, and low back pain is the most common clinical symptom.
Recently, the next door to Wang's mother often feel back pain, at first Wang's mother did not think, as a general problem of the elderly will have, after the age of the natural left and right pain, so she went to the pharmacy to buy pain medicine cloth to paste, and so the pain relief, thought it was good, never thought of seeking medical help and rehabilitation personnel, more did not expect that this may be a cumulative injury to the signs. The company's website is a great source of information about the company's products and services.
Until one day, Wang was sitting in front of the washbasin, washing clothes as usual, chatting and laughing with Liu's mom next door, when she suddenly remembered that the kettle's hot water should have rolled, and wanted to get up to turn off the gas, when a strong tearing pain in the muscles at the back of her waist attacked her, and the pain was so intense that Wang was in tears, and if Liu hadn't helped her out, she wouldn't have been able to hold herself up straight, much less stand. If it wasn't for Mrs. Liu's help, Mrs. Wang would not have been able to straighten her back much less stand up. The doctor said this is a kind of cumulative damage caused by working in an incorrect posture for a long time, and it is fortunate that she sought medical treatment early, or else the after-effects would have been quite a lot.
There are many housewives in Taiwan who have the same problem as Wang's mother, that is, doing housework in an incorrect position for a long period of time can easily lead to cumulative injuries, which in turn can lead to chronic symptoms, and the impact can be large or small. In Wang's case, because she had been doing laundry in a stooped position for a long time, her back muscles were overstretched and fatigued, so she developed sore backs that hurt as if someone were pulling on her muscles.
In the past, when common sense in medicine was not widespread, it was easy to ignore this as a "normal phenomenon," or to seek help from national martial arts centers, thinking that putting on a bandage would make things better, but in fact, if you don't seek medical attention in time, it could cause permanent damage to musculoskeletal tissues. When encountering such a situation, you should seek early help from a rehab doctor. In addition to relieving the pain, the effect of medication can also reduce excessive muscle tension and prevent permanent tissue damage from occurring. In addition, physiotherapists can provide physical therapy, such as electrotherapy, heat therapy, etc., to alleviate pain symptoms and help injured tissues recover. Functional therapists can also provide orthopedic or assistive devices to correct incorrect joint postures and make recommendations for home environment modifications.
In fact, if we can pay attention to some small details in our normal daily activities, we may be able to minimize the chance of cumulative injuries. If you are considering a washing machine, you can choose a drum-type washing machine and pad it up to chest height to avoid bending into the washing machine to get clothes.
2. Use a chair with a backrest or let the back can rely on something to do things: the back has something to support when you can reduce the burden on the muscles, therefore, in addition to the activities of the household, such as: sweeping, mopping, as long as it is necessary to engage in a long period of time to work, such as cooking dinner, it is best to choose the back of the position of the back to support engage in, in addition to the back of the support at least with the shoulders, so as to have a better supportive effect. The first thing you need to do is to get a good support for your back.
3. Use long-handled tools: In sweeping, mopping and lifting the lid of the garbage can, there will also be bending movements, we can choose to use a longer handle or like in the garbage can stick on a long stick, as far as possible with the elbow action to compensate for the bending angle needed, in the lumbar region of the left and right places.
4. Moderate rest: If the work requires a long time, about 20 minutes or so to get up and do a simple stretching exercise and then continue, so as to avoid the muscles in a state of tension for a long time, you can get the opportunity to relax.
5. Maintain appropriate exercise: moderate exercise can train muscle strength and endurance, so that the muscles are less prone to soreness and fatigue, but also can make muscle cells to maintain the activity of the injured tissues to accelerate the recovery of the situation, but the exercise prescription must be followed by a doctor or rehabilitation personnel (physiotherapists and functional therapists) to the extent of the recommendations, otherwise it may become a second degree of injury.
6. Take balanced nutrition: In addition to developing exercise habits, balanced nutritional intake can make the normal growth of musculoskeletal tissues, if you usually pay more attention to these points, I believe that we can help us to stay away from the ranks of the family of low back pain.
(Author Hsu Huizhen is a functional therapist at the Department of Health's Bali Sanatorium)
How to eliminate postural low back pain?
Postural low back pain is usually caused by poor posture at work, at school, and in daily life. Therefore, in order to eliminate postural low back pain, the first step is to improve posture in the areas of lying down and walking. The next step is to correct the bad posture. Here are some specific training methods to correct posture:
One, sitting training: patients sitting on an ordinary wooden chair with a backrest, both hips, knees flexed ninety degrees, lumbar vertebrae and the backrest as tight as possible between the tight, leaving no space to reduce the lumbar spine of the anterior flexion. Patients who can not achieve this posture, can use the backrest of the front side of the chair with a convex, in order to facilitate the training.
Second, the standing posture training: the patient's waist and back close to the wall upright, to the lumbar spine and the wall between the hand can not be reached as a principle, and then gradually bend the hip and knee squatting. This is the second step of training on the basis of the seat. Only maintain an upright lumbar curvature, can maintain good functional status in walking, sports and heavy load activities.
Three, walking training: in the sitting position and standing posture training based on walking lumbar posture training. The method is as follows:
(a) hold a notebook or other easy to slide down the object on the head, keep the lumbar vertebrae vertical and try not to make the object on the head fall down under the premise of stepping forward.
(b) Lift a lighter object in each hand, keeping the lumbar spine straight, while stepping forward.
The postural training of the lumbar spine should be a regular treatment for patients with postural low back pain, and requires persistence. In addition, this postural training can also be used in patients with lumbar disc herniation accompanied by changes in the physiological curvature of the lumbar spine.
Choose the right chair
Health is a major driving force at work, so it is very important to choose a suitable chair for yourself.
The right chair must meet the following conditions:
◆The back of the chair
1. Height: It does not have to be high enough to reach above the shoulders, for some people, too high a back of the chair will hinder the work.
2. There must be an arc to support the lumbar vertebrae. Don't take a cushion in the back and count on it, but the wrong position will be a mistake and cause discomfort.
◆Chair seat and seat cushion
1. Width: When you sit down, leave at least an inch of space on both sides.
2. Depth: To accommodate the entire buttocks and thighs as a principle, and leave a little space behind the knees, so as not to cause localized pressure on the knees and thighs.
3. Seat cushion: the best front with a bit of curvature, rather than hard and square edges.
4. Height: It is best to adjust, in addition to the height of the workstation, but also to let the user's thigh angle is roughly parallel to the ground, the knee position can be slightly lower than the hips, and the feet can be completely affixed to the ground, so as not to overhang.
◆Armrest
Height: Not too high, or it will lead to high shoulders. If the armrests prevent the worker from pulling the seat closer to the workstation, or interfere with left-right movement, it's best to look for height-adjustable or removable armrests.
◆Adjustability
Chair design can be adjusted including: seat height, depth and tilt, back height and tilt, armrest height and width. Adjust several times to achieve the most comfortable condition. Pneumatic adjustment is better. The adjustment lever should be easily maneuvered when you are in the sitting position.
◆Stability
The base should be stable. If you need to turn a lot in your work, you should use a chair with casters, and five-point support is more suitable. Make sure the casters are designed for the type of flooring in your workplace.
◆Materials
Leather is better for cleaning, and fabric is more breathable. Don't over-soften the back of the chair or the cushion.
◆Special work needs
If your workplace in the production line, counter, laboratory, etc., the work needs to sit and stand alternately, and often get up to pick up things, the height of the higher, and designed to tilt forward of the sitting and standing dual-purpose chair will be more suitable.
Kneeling Chairs are designed to tilt forward and have a cushion that rests on the knees to maintain a good spinal posture; however, the load on the knees and lower extremities is too great and often causes different pain problems; the height of the workstation should be considered to obtain the best working posture. (Dr. Leung Wai Man, Rehabilitation Medicine Association)
Preventing back pain should start with improving the workplace environment
Ms. Wang has been working as a computer clerk for one year and has been experiencing back pain, especially after working for a long period of time, which has become more intense. After an outpatient examination, she was found to have a chronic muscle ligament strain, and the cause of the strain was related to prolonged sitting and constant repetitive movements. In addition to prescribed medication and physiotherapy, Ms. Wong was taught some stretching exercises to reduce muscle fatigue, and was advised to spend a few minutes doing exercises in her spare time at work to reduce muscle fatigue caused by prolonged periods of time in the same position. But Ms. Wong's first response to this advice was, "It's strange to do exercises at the workplace. This statement made me ponder .......
Many people spend a lot of their lives in the workplace, so health promotion programs in the workplace have been gaining traction in recent years. Domestic companies often promote programs for their employees, such as physical fitness programs, weight, high blood pressure, and high blood lipid control programs, and smoking cessation campaigns. However, work-induced musculoskeletal disorders, such as shoulder, neck, upper arm, and lower back pain, have become more and more important due to their increased incidence. Europe, the United States, and Japan have begun to enact laws and regulations that require employers to improve the workplace environment and processes to provide employees with the means to prevent these diseases.
For example, in the case of occupational lower back pain, in addition to stipulating the maximum lifting weight limit for employees, they also teach their employees the hygiene knowledge of low back health care and promote fitness and softness exercises before or during breaks in the middle of the workday.
This kind of back pain classroom program was previously implemented in hospitals for patients with lower back pain, but many of the patients were unable to fully apply the knowledge they learned because it was not relevant to their work, or because the objective environment could not be improved, so lower back pain often recurs. Therefore, it is important to promote low back care knowledge and exercises in the workplace so that they can be implemented in the workplace, coupled with engineering improvements by employers, such as changing the height of workstations to avoid prolonged bending at work, improving the workflow to minimize unnecessary lifting or replacing manual lifting with machines, and adopting a rotational system to avoid prolonged and repetitive work in order to reduce the risk of exposure.
According to foreign research, this multifaceted intervention not only reduces the incidence of lower back pain and minimizes medical expenditures and employee absenteeism, but also improves productivity and enhances the employee's centripetal force towards the company.
(Dr. Yi-Xun Hong, Society of Rehabilitation Medicine)
You shouldn't put up with lower back pain!
Low back pain has become a **** same problem all over the world. People who work on computers all day long, shopkeepers who have to stand and serve customers, and busy salesmen, all of them are facing the pain of low back pain. Why can't physicians treat this problem properly?
A recent study by the Journal of the British Medical Association shows that during the decade 1987-1997, although the incidence of severe back pain leading to mobility problems decreased by 0.7 percent, the proportion of back pain affecting the general population increased by 12.7 percent.
Researchers at the University of South Hampton, in an effort to understand the true impact of low back pain on the general public, conducted a survey of 2,667 people aged 20 to 59 between 1987 and 1988, and 59 percent of the population participated in the study; a second study of 10,363 people aged 20 to 59 between 1997 and 1998, and 57 percent of the population participated in the study. **The second study was conducted in 1997-1998 among 10,363 people aged 20-59, and 57% of them participated in the whole study. The results showed that within one year of the survey interviews, the percentage of respondents with back pain increased from 36.4% in the first study in 1988 to 49.1% in the second study in 1998. The increase in the percentage of back pain showed an increase for men, women, economic class, and geographic area of residence.
Researchers believe there are two main reasons for the increase in low back pain. The first is that modern people are more aware of their health and therefore treat back pain as a symptom. The second reason is that modern bosses have also been able to accept that low back pain is an illness as a reason for taking time off work, and so employees are more able to use the healthcare system to target low back pain
for treatment.
Are you an office worker suffering from low back pain? Please go to the rehab department of a major hospital for treatment as soon as possible, and you will realize that you can get back to work comfortably. (Amy Cheng, Pharm.D., University of California)
Back pain: Five tips for preventing it
Back pain is the most troubling problem for women. In contrast to men's back pain, men can dramatically improve their back pain symptoms by improving their sitting posture and warming up before exercise. But the woman's back pain, but also involves the physiological period of maintenance, the choice of shoes, as well as kitchen activity space design.
The smartest thing to do when you have a sore back is to get it checked out by a rehab doctor right away, but for women who are busy at home and at work, the right resting position can give you the proper relief you need if you don't have time to see a doctor. If the mattress is too soft or too hard, it is best to adjust the mattress firmness. If you're used to lying on your back, put a pillow behind your knees and raise your feet a little.
Second, in the warm water bath, time not more than fifteen minutes, the best with the market on the hot spring powder, bath oil or flavor, can slow down the pain of back pain.
Three, check your shoes. The shoes with pointed toes, heels higher than five centimeters, and shoes made of hard materials should all be put away. Instead, wear flat shoes with round or square toes, and multi-functional sneakers.
Check the height of your kitchen counter. Try to match your height to the height of your kitchen counter. You can try out the various kitchenware display centers to see how the height of the counter affects the way you operate your home.
Fifth, increase the intake of calcium, eat more soy milk, tofu, yogurt, milk and other foods, through calcium supplementation, to slow down the loss of bone, in order to avoid the occurrence of osteoporosis.
The lifestyle approach to slowing down low back pain can only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. It is recommended that you see a physician immediately when low back pain strikes in order to truly solve the problem of low back pain! (Huey Wen Cheng, Doctor of Pharmacy, University of California, USA)
Do you experience back pain ?
According to statistics, about 70% to 80% of people have experienced back pain in their lifetime. When you have this problem, in addition to the disease to seek medical attention, usually have to pay attention to maintenance, in this will be some daily life precautions to provide you with a reference:
u Correct sitting posture:
1, when sitting to keep the upper body straight, the waist and back to maintain in a straight state.
2. It is ideal to choose a chair that is hard, has a backrest, and can support the lower back. When you sit down, your knees are slightly higher than your hips, your feet are flat on the floor, and the chair should be wide enough to support your thighs.
3. Avoid sitting in the same position for too long, and move around every two hours if necessary.
uStanding and walking:
1. When you move from sitting to standing, move your hips forward first and then stand up, avoiding too much bending forward.
2. When standing, keep your back straight, head up, chin down, stomach in, buttocks tight and chest out.
3. When going up and down steps and entering and exiting thresholds, you must first measure the height and not be careless so as not to trip and hurt your back.
4, avoid standing for a long time, if you have to stand for a long time when the work, you can use a footstool, let a foot to rest, relative to the waist also reduces the burden.
5, from standing to walking, you should first move feet, and then move the body.
uRest and Sleep:
1. Choose a suitable bed, a flat and firm mattress is ideal, usually on a 3/4-inch thick board with a quilt, blanket or cushion. The bed should be wide enough to accommodate the patient; too narrow a bed can cause discomfort.
2. Sleeping on the side, with hands in front of the body, knees bent, and hips bent is preferred. When lying down, a pillow should be placed under the knees, so that the lower limbs are elevated, the lower back is flat, and the hands should not be raised above the head.
3. When getting in and out of bed, pay attention: before getting out of bed, lie on the side of the bed, bend your knees and move your legs to the edge of the bed, move your body by your hips, and use your hands to support your body weight and sit up. When you get into bed, sit on the edge of the bed, bend your elbows and lie on your side, bend your knees and move your legs to the bed.
uCarrying heavy objects or lifting things:
1. When carrying heavy objects, utilize a crane or other tools as much as possible to reduce the chance of injury to the lower back.
2. If you have to carry heavy objects, the method should be right, you should bend your knees and squat down, put your lower legs out, try to make the objects close to your body, and stand up slowly; you should not bend down to pick up things, and you should not twist your back when lifting and placing heavy objects.
3. Don't cross other things when you pick up things, and don't reach out and touch the inaccessible but reluctant action. Don't make any move to open or close a window by crossing over furniture.
uDriving:
1. Before driving, you should prepare the driver's seat so that it is adjusted so that your knees are higher than your hips, so that your feet can be easily operated when you step on the gas and brake. If the seat is too soft, you can prepare a seat to support your waist, and adjust the height of the headrest on the seat to make it comfortable.
2. When driving, keep your waist on the back of the seat, keep your upper body straight, don't lean forward, and fasten your seatbelt.
3. Long-distance driving, it is best to stop every hour to walk down and move around to relax the tension.
uWork and home:
1. Sitting or standing for a long time work, all need to change posture every time (one to two hours), activity, if forced to work, only to make the muscle fatigue.
2. When doing household chores, such as washing dishes and using a vacuum cleaner, do not bend over too much and try to bend your knees slightly to maintain a normal lumbar spine curvature.
uExercise:
1. Get into the habit of doing regular exercise, such as walking, swimming, aerobic dancing, soft exercises or back exercises, to keep your body healthy.
2. Warm up before each exercise, while the exercise should be slow and fast, and then fast and slow down.
3. Avoid overstretching your back during exercise, such as bending down arbitrarily, suddenly leaping up or raising your legs.
4. If there are any signs of back pain during exercise, don't be alarmed and seek medical attention immediately to avoid deterioration.
uOther:
1. The use of lumbar belts or lumbar supports can limit spinal activity, reduce mechanical stress, and correct poor posture, as well as help alleviate pain.
2. Avoid collision, sudden jumps, twisting movements, do not climb high and lift weights.
3. To prevent constipation, eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and high-fiber foods.
4. Maintain proper exercise.
5. Women should not wear high heels.
6. Maintain a happy and relaxed mood.
Reference: