Ushering in the new year often means coming up with new resolutions. Most would sign up for the gym, while others tend to incorporate more vegetables into their diets.
Healthy resolutions are most welcome, but what about inculcating healthy habits for the year? This is vital as we age, and picking up healthier habits early on helps to determine a healthier year for all of us.
While some conditions are inevitable as we age, bad posture that comes from sitting long hours at work can affect our back, resulting in back pain that is often ignored.
Persistent back pain without early treatment can lead to severe long-term effects that can impact health, and eventually, productivity.
As office employees, a long period of sitting without proper breaks and stretching can cause back pain, and if left untreated, can lead to chronic back pain.
Employees who are involved in jobs that require heavy lifting, pushing, pulling, or twisting can also injure theie backs.
A desk job may also play a role, especially if you have poor posture or sit all day in chairs that may not have ergonomic elements to facilitate a better sitting experience.
Types Of Back Pain
There are three types of back pain individuals may suffer from. This includes acute back pain, which usually lasts for a few days and may happen suddenly.
Individuals with subacute back pain experience the condition over time, and this may last for over 10 weeks.
Additionally, chronic back pain can come either quickly or slowly, and has proven to last longer for more than 12 weeks and occurs daily.
What Happens When Back Pain Is Left Untreated?
Treating the strain on your back early on matters. Not allowing injuries suffered on your back to recover to the fullest can turn an acute back pain into chronic back pain, which will continue to persist for a longer period of time.
Experiencing the pain without treatment will put unnecessary strain on other parts of your body, especially the spine. Nerve irritation for instance can also lead to permanent disabilities.
Another impact of leaving the back pain untreated is poor sleep. Poor quality of sleep can and will affect overall physical and mental well-being as well as your mood.
Being sleep-deprived can lead to the worsening of other conditions, and eventually affect productivity at work and your day-to-day activities.
With this in mind, frequent exercising and practicing good posture can assist in lowering the chances of suffering from frequent or severe back pain.
Track That Back Pain
Early treatment is important, but it is understandable that most people tend to ignore acute back pain, hoping it will go away in time, the earliest in the next few days.
Knowing how long your back pain lasts and what levels of pain you are suffering from will help in getting the best treatment out there.
With access to a simple calendar, track your back pain and keep a record of how long your pain lasts. This will also allow your healthcare provider to review your treatment options more carefully and come up with a care plan that helps you to get back on your feet.
If you have been experiencing consistent back pain for more than five days in a row, be sure to meet your nearest health care practitioner to treat the condition.
Dr Lim Sze Wei is a consultant orthopaedic, spine and trauma surgeon at ALTY Orthopaedic Hospital, Malaysia’s first single-speciality orthopaedic hospital.
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
