About the Author
Dr Shiv Dua has devoted his life to helping people prevent ailments and diseases.
His profession is Geology but passion always lay in Homeopathy. He holds a Diploma and an MD in Homoeopathy. He has written numerous articles for homoeopathic journals and has published 12 books on various subjects of Homoeopathy. His latest one being A-Z of Back Pain. Dr Dua believes that his writing has made a difference in the lives of many people in India and around the globe. This article is his contribution for the fans of Zorba Books.
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Indian women are highly burdened with work, both domestic and office, including sitting on the computers for hours. They have to go to the market for provisions and carry heavy bags. They travel to the market or office in buses, cars and trains, standing sitting and walking. They carry weight, shift furniture, change bed sheets, cook food, wash clothes and utensils, sweep swab and cook meals. Most common ailment that affects them is back pain.
Back pains may occur at any age. Back pain ranks as the number three disease in the World. The irony is that Indian women take back pain very lightly. It is because they are tolerant and patient. They do not rush to the doctors till the pains cross the limit of their pain bearing ability. They often pop pain killer tablets and get back to work. Only when there is prolonged back pain do they consult a doctor. Sometimes it is too late.
‘Prevention is better than cure’ is an old saying. In every disease, one has to take precaution. If one takes adequate preventive steps, back pain can be tackled without having to taking any medicines.
Five golden rules to prevent back pain
1. Watch your weight.
Take care of your abdomen and stomach area. The first indication of back pain comes from here when the stomach or the abdomen starts protruding. Any extra weight in this area can lead to back pain. This is so because the centre of gravity has started straining your back. Every extra kilogram of weight pushes the spine.
2. Watch your sitting and standing posture
Sitting on a chair should be with straight back or low-back support.
Sit with your back straight.
Your buttocks should touch the back of your chair.
Bend your knees at a right angle.
Do not sit with your knees crossed for a longer time.
Keep your knees slightly higher than your hips.
Keep your feet flat on the floor.
Avoid sitting in the same position for more than half an hour.
Rest your elbows and arms on your chair.
Keep shoulders relaxed.
If you are to stand for a long time in a queue or at the railway stations, aerodromes or bus stand, it is better keep your head up, rest your weight on one foot for some time and then switch the weight of the body on the other leg. Every five minutes the weight of the body should be shifted.
3. Watch heels of your shoes
Like the protruding abdomen, high heels of the footwear one wears, can shift the center of gravity and strain your lower back. The heels of sandal should not be more than an inch. Many low back pains are on account of this.
4. Watch your jeans and “churidars” (skin tight pajama)
Wearing tight jeans and churidar pajama for a long time sometimes become the reason for back pain. Clothes should not be tight so as to interfere with sitting, standing and walking. Such tight clothes may not bring pains but if the pain already exists, it would aggravate it.
Dr Dua has written books on Practical Cure, Practical Homeopathy.