Backpain is undoubtedly one of the commonest complaint

• Backpain is undoubtedly one of the commonest complaint

Whenever I get to attend to clients, backpain is undoubt­edly one of the commonest complaints. Sometimes I wonder if it’s the norm or I simply attract peo­ple suffering from backpain.

Approximately 40 per cent of all people will complain of significant back pain some time in their life. About 95 per cent of these cases re­solve spontaneously within six weeks. Most cases of back pain go away on their own after a few days but if yours lasts more than a week, see a doctor. Usually the pain will be due to muscle strain or ligamentous sprain which heals with time with or without treatment.

A small proportion of acute back pain may have significant, serious pathology as its underlying cause. Examples include fracture, neoplasm, infection or other conditions that adversely affect a nerve (e.g. a disc between vertebrae bulge or burst open and presses on a nerve such as the sciatic nerve).

Risk factors for back pain

• Obesity

• Occupation – sedentary work­ers and those who need to lift things or bend for hours

• Poor Posture- this includes how we sit at work and the awkward postures some of us adopt.

• Being out of shape – pot belly etc

• Smoking

• Genetics – vulnerable to scoli­osis, spondylolisthesis etc

• Age – young athletes are prone to tiny fractures in the spine (spondylolysis). The aged are likely to have arthritis

• Psychosocial Issues – Depres­sion, Anxiety, Stress

Diagnosing back pain

Some people complain of back pain after lifting heavy objects using an abnormal posture or sitting for long periods but several others may not remember any triggers.

Often the patient’s complaints and the doctor’s findings will clinch the diagnosis but your guess is as good as mine; the management/ treatment is usually the same.

Laboratory tests are often not helpful except for the few cases where infection or neoplasm is a concern.

X-rays are not indicated in most cases of back pain, especially within the first six (6) weeks. It may only become necessary when pain per­sists, or there is concern for fracture, neoplasm, infection or other serious condition. Other studies that may be helpful are, Bone Scan, CT Scan or MRI.

Managing back pain

The mainstay of management is:

• Bed rest for a short period of time usually not exceeding three days.

• Early mobilisation ensures quick recovery. Get moving, do not stay in bed indefinitely

• Lying on a firm surface is rec­ommended but super hard mattresses may sometimes cause back pain

• Analgesics such as Brufen, Naproxen etc are useful but avoid if you have peptic ulcer or have bron­chial asthma.

Other options for management include:

• Psychotherapy – many cases of back pain have been found to be linked to anxiety and depression

• Physiotherapy/Physical Thera­py also has an important place

• Massage, Osteopathy and Chi­ropractic all play a role in relieving back pain

• Surgery may also be needed. Certain cases of back pain are surgi­cal emergencies but for the majority, surgery may be a last resort. Though surgery may make the patient feel better quickly, the same can be achieved with physical therapy in the long term (Study in Journal of the American Medical Association) in most instances.

Need to see the doctor now – warning signs you can’t ignore

In general one may not need to see a doctor immediately with most brief episodes of back pain but if the fol­lowing are associated with your pain then get to the hospital NOW!!!

• Extreme leg weakness

• Loss of bladder and/or bowel control

• Numbness or altered sensa­tion in groin or rectal area

• Fever or sign of infection

• History of cancer

Living without back pain

• Stay fit – Exercise on most days of the week (www. healthclubsgh.com)

• Eat a balanced meal at the right times

• Maintain a healthy weight

• Cut out tobacco

• Take time off to relax

• Attitude – take charge of how you feel. Do not be too hard on your­self.

• Make sure you sit appropri­ately and take brief breaks after at most an hour and half of sitting.

Some exercises that may help to heal back pain

• Planks: Daily planks or at least doing this thrice a week may help protect your back. In the acute phase of backpain however most peo­ple are unable to do this.

• Wall slide: Slide up then down till your thighs form an angle of 90 degrees with the vertical wall. Repeat

• Pelvic tilt: Lie on your back with knees bent. Exhale and pull abdominal muscles in and up towards the ribs. You may also lift your but­tocks of the surface and squeeze for a count of five and repeat.

• Bird Dog: Bend over on all fours, then raise opposite arm and leg parallel to the floor hold for a count of eight or ten then repeat. Change to the other arm and leg and repeat.

• Walking: This low cost exer­cise is a miracle worker. Lace your good boots and get walking.

Back pain is a major public health issue since it results in a substantial decrease in productivity and days lost from work.

Use the appropriate furniture at work and take occasional one-minute breaks to stand.

If you need to lift and bend, often make sure you learn the proper pos­ture.

Do not wait for back pain to strike, start a healthy life style today!!!! Everyone has one back and one back ONLY. We need to take very good care of it. Simply pamper your back.

AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pres­sure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Dr Kojo Cobba Essel

Health Essentials Ltd (HE&W Group)

(dressel@healthessentialsgh. com)

*Dr Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling the Essentials of Health & Wealth.’

Thought for the week – 1. “The most efficient way to reach your re­alistic health goals, is to make small healthy choices daily.”

References:

1. WebMD

2. Mosby’s Ace the Boards

3. The Merck Manual

4. www.healthclubsgh.com

The past few years I have been thinking a lot about how to make the life of elderly parents fulfilling and with less stress on our lives. How we should also prepare adequately for our golden years while we provide guidance to our children and grandchildren. These thoughts have on several occasions shifted to perimenopause and menopause and the role of finance and wellness and all this cannot be taken for granted.

Age does creep up on us. One minute you are a teen, with neither fears nor cares and in a blink of an eye, you are a parent of teens who will remind you that being around for over half a century is old. Is fifty that old? I do not think so, but a lot depends on what we have been doing for most of the fifty years. It is never too late to make changes.

As we trudge through life, most of us never think about the challenges that our elderly parents may face, and we are just not prepared when reality stares us in the face. Every age bracket has its unique issues and between forty to sixty-five years we often have quite a lot on our plate; supporting our elderly parents, putting our own lives in order and guiding our young ones.

Necessary steps to enhance life of elderly

1. Never boss or try to “par­ent” your parents

a. Think about this; we uncon­sciously start “ordering” our parents. Telling them what to do without find­ing their preferences etc. Parenting our parents is one of the challenges many elderly parents endure silently. Stop It!

2. Ask for their opinion

a. Being old does not mean one no longer has opinions. Ask. Argue in love, discuss issues such as exercise, medication, hospital visits, food, friends, religion, politics. Everything. By all means seek their opinion.

3. Do not overtreat them medically

a. Not every change you see in an elderly person requires medical intervention. Be careful what you buy medicines for and stay away from unnecessary tests. Make sure you speak to a knowledgeable health professional.

4. Hospital stays should be as brief as possible

a. Plan hospital or clinic visits to make them as short and conve­nient as possible. If possible, get tests and consultations done on the same day. If it’s not an emergency, find out if the medical facility has special arrangements for the elderly and also check the time of days with the shortest wait time. Many elderly people do not like the stress of hos­pital environments and why should they?

b. When admitted for an ill­ness, work together with the medical team to ensure they are home as soon as possible. Most of them do best in familiar surroundings and home is numero uno.

5. Have them stay at home for as long as possible

a. Sometimes children are in a hurry to send parents off to homes that care for the elderly. People often ask where they could get such support. I think we should all plan to keep parents at home for as long as humanly possible. Sometimes we do not have the option of having them at home, but we need to explore all our options

6. Help them to socialise

a. Organise time with friends etc. at home and out of home. This brings a breath of fresh air to every­one including our elderly parents. This makes them happier, healthier and they live longer.

b. …and the more time we spend with our elderly parents, the longer they live.

7. Ensure physical activity

a. No matter one’s age and medical condition, there is always a form of physical activity to engage in. It may be as simple as making fists or moving arms, but every movement goes a long way to make life better.

b. Sunlight is a must. Do what­ever it takes to ensure at least one gets a few minutes of sunlight a day.

c. The presence or chance to see beautiful plants is a bonus worth going the extra mile for.

Steps to prepare for our own gold­en years

1. Start a wellness plan or con­tinue if you already have one

a. It’s a must!! Learn to breathe, build muscle, move to ensure your heart is happy and even more important parts of your brain that protect you from dementia will grow.

2. Keep in touch with your classmates

a. They have known you for years and a phone call or occasional visit or gathering definitely ignites memories and it brings “warmth” beyond your wildest imagination

3. Surround yourself with younger people

a. They can support you in many ways and their visits brighten your day while your advice is priceless to them. It is a win-win situation.

4. Avoid loneliness at all costs

a. You are not an island. Even if you think you are better off on your own and with your thoughts, nature does not agree with that. Kindly make a few good friends.

5. Protect your brain/memory

a. Dementia is a matter of when and not if; exercise will enlarge the part of the brain that controls mem­ory. Having a larger hippocampus means it takes longer for dementia to show up.

Age will definitely catch up with each of us if we hang around Earth long enough. It is a matter of when and not if so, we should take steps to make our golden years and those of our loved ones happy and fulfilling. I will choose SUCCESSFUL ageing over USUAL ageing any day.

AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sug­ar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Dr Kojo Cobba Essel

Health Essentials Ltd (HE&W Group)

(dressel@healthessentialsgh. com)

*Dr Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.’

Thought for the week (1) – “Ageing comes with psychosocial challeng­es such as neglect, abuse, sexual adjustment, emotional disorders, oth­er mental health challenges, issues with living arrangement and several others. Let us all help to make life easier and more enjoyable for the elderly”-Kojo Cobba Essel

By Dr Kojo Cobba Essel