Is your regular body ache a sign of a common orthopedic disorder?
With a shift in our lifestyles from relaxed and laid-back to swift and hyper, we are always on the move to make ends meet. In order to take care and access control over everything around us, we forget the most vital part of our being, our body.
A consistent pain in any part of your body could be leading you to a common orthopedic condition and its time you should take matters seriously.
Minor pains here and there, results from turning an ignorant eye towards how we walk, stand, sit at our workplace, sleep on so called ‘memory foams’ and hit the gym in order to make our cut in today’s rat race. It’s about time, we identify changes in our lifestyle in order to lead a healthy life and avoid falling into the trap of, ‘Oh, it’s just another day, just another pain’.
If you are looking for a sign to change, THIS IS IT.
Some of the daily habits that can lead to common orthopedic disorder in future are
1. A bad sleep posture
On an average a human body needs at least 6-8 hours of sleep every day to allow human brain to stay refreshed. It is a prerequisite for body’s tissues and cell to stay healthy.Without sufficient amount of good sleep, a body doesn’t get the time to relax and replenish essential energies and processes.
It has been proven that sleeping on the same side every night can cause muscle imbalance. So, if you wake up at the middle of the night, try to switch the side. Similarly, sleeping face down could cause pressure on your back and neck. The mattress and pillow provides an awkward rise, and lying on one side decreases pressure on your back, leading to severe discomfort. These are the few things to keep in mind when you call it a day and hit the bed.
2. Crossing legs while sitting
People without realizing sit crossing over one leg with the other, creating tension and imbalance in muscles. In this crossed leg position, hip is raised from original position, resulting in misalignment of your spine. You may also experience pressure on your sciatic nerve which leads to back and neck pain.
In order to avoid this, sit with your legs uncrossed and feet flat on floor. Another alternative is placing your feet on a footstool, or overlapping your ankles instead of your legs. This will not put pressure on your hips and spine, thus maintaining their alignment.
3. Carrying bag on one shoulder
Uneven bearing of weight on one shoulder can do dual damage: Forcing you to move in one direction and create uneven muscle tone and reducing blood flow which leads to aching in neck, shoulders and back.
To avoid this you can limit your bag’s weight by not more than 10 percent of your body weight and switch bag from left to right shoulder frequently. You can also put heavy items at the center of your backpack to avoid unequal load or you can choose rolling briefcases or cross-body bags which distributes weight equally and saves you from discomforts.
4. A bad work-posture
Every time you lean forward to look at your monitor, it puts strain on your shoulder and upper back because your shoulder collapses and compresses your chest muscles.
To avoid this you should always sit in a straight posture. You can opt for low-back supportive chair with pillow, can adjust your screen level, restraining you to tilt your head and rest your elbows on armrests of your chair in order to minimize discomforts while you work on your monitor.
5. Balancing mobile on shoulder
The one trick we Indians are master at. People usually tilt their head on one side of the shoulder to hold their phone up to ear while boasting our skills of multi-tasking. This not only compresses and shortens the side’s muscles over time, it also puts unnecessary pressure on the same shoulder and neck side.
To avoid this one can use wireless earphones or can attend calls on speaker mode. Life is not as difficult as we make it for ourselves!
6. Deficiency of Vitamin D
Hypocalcaemia is a state of low blood calcium level in a body. It can transpire when a person doesn’t have enough vitamin D. Many of the important body organs, such as kidneys and muscles, count on calcium to work accurately. Bones also require calcium to stay healthy. If a body is deprived of enough vitamin D, one can feel aching in the organs and bones. Therefore, check vitamin D levels and take necessary supplements to keep your bone health intact.
7. Wearing high heels
Not only are high heels uncomfortable, they can cause severe discomfort in your muscles, leaving you regretting for life. Your calf muscles shorten by 13 percent within the span of 2 years of wearing heels of two inches or higher. Wearing heels makes your ankle shift position, putting pressure on your calf muscle and tendons. This can cause Achilles tendon which leads to aching.
To avoid this situation, try wearing flat shoes and always opt for sports shoes while going for a walk or a jog.
These common orthopedic disorders can be avoided by these orthopedic treatment of change in your lifestyle that can save you from a lifetime of misery. It’s never too late to change or develop a new habit, so why not start taking care of your bone health from today itself?
