Back care and occupational therapy

Mr. X is a Computer Engineer. He works in a multinational company. His office is between 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. He felt pain in his low back. He also feels pain and numbness in his right hand. He seems tensed and his condition is worsening day by day. One day he comes to Neurosciences hospital for his better treatment where physiatrist consultant diagnosed cervical radiculopathy and Low back pain. Cervical radiculopathy is the clinical description of pain and neurological symptoms resulting from any type of condition that irritates a nerve in the cervical spine (neck). Low back pain refers to pain that you feel in your lower back. You may also have back stiffness, decreased movement of the lower back, and difficulty standing straight. After reviewing his back X ray report the doctor advised him to take occupational therapy management.
An occupational therapist is a health professional trained to assess and implement rehabilitation to help optimize functional activities for patients with disabling injuries.
For back pain, treatment focuses on using proper body mechanics which include using larger joints in movement, conserving energy by balancing work and rest, and listening to pain signals to avoid overexertion. An occupational therapist will examine overall activities of the patient at home, work, and during recreation.
Low back pain affects people of all ages, from children to the elderly, and is a very frequent reason for medical consultations. The 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study estimated that low back pain is among the top 10 diseases and injuries that account for the highest number worldwide. It is difficult to estimate the incidence of low back pain as the incidence of first-ever episodes of low back pain is already high by early adulthood and symptoms tend to recur over time. The lifetime prevalence of non-specific (common) low back pain is estimated at 60% to 70% in industrialized countries (one-year prevalence 15% to 45%, adult incidence 5% per year). The prevalence rate for children and adolescents is lower than that seen in adults but is rising. Prevalence increases and peaks between the ages of 35 and 55.As the world population ages, low back pain will increase substantially due to the deterioration of the intervertebral discs in older people.
Neck pain is also a common symptom among the middle aged population. During preceding month it has been shown that men are affected about 24% and female about 37% had suffered from neck pain. According to recent systematic reviews, the one-year prevalence of neck pain of any type varies between 2% and 80% and is higher among women than men. In Denmark, a higher one-month prevalence among 100-year-olds was found; 23% and 19% for women and men respectively (Skillgate et al., 2012)
Occupational Therapy has a great role to prevent neck pain and back pain by modifying the environment. It is a form of treatment where we help people to understand and learn how you should do your job whatever it is (occupation, household task, sports, driving), in a way that it follow normal body biomechanics, which should not hurt your back. Let’s check out what this big term biomechanics means: biomechanics is the science of movement of a living body, including how muscles, bone, tendons, and ligaments work together to produce movement. Or we can say, the application of kinesiology in daily life activities and to the prevention and correction of problems related to posture. Occupational Therapy practitioners are uniquely qualified with ergonomics, to provide services in independent living settings, as they have an understanding of dynamic interplay between the individual and the environment, and can suggest and implement modification to enhance the individual’s ability to function in a given environment. An occupational therapist can help employers identify hazards that may contribute to on –the-job injury, and determine how it can me eliminated.
Occupational therapist initiate with analyzing activity/job and the context in which the activity is performed, as well as the consumers ability to perform the task. The therapist would then identify barriers to performance and make recommendation accordingly.
Prevention
Top 10 points to prevent neck pain and lower back pain
1.    Maintain proper posture during working time
2. Make the right moves
3. Maintain Level of height
4. Sleep right by maintain proper position. Use hard and straight bed for sleeping.
5. Practice relaxation technique
 6. Identify feeling of exertion and pain
7. Drop the load
8. Strengthen your abdominal muscles  
9. Take a short break during working time
10. Perform some back strengthening activities
Neck and back pain is a common problem in our
country. So, if we take proper ergonomical guideline from qualified occupational therapist we can live without pain or discomfort.

 

Back care and occupational therapy

Mr. X is a Computer Engineer. He works in a multinational company. His office is between 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. He felt pain in his low back. He also feels pain and numbness in his right hand. He seems tensed and his condition is worsening day by day. One day he comes to Neurosciences hospital for his better treatment where physiatrist consultant diagnosed cervical radiculopathy and Low back pain. Cervical radiculopathy is the clinical description of pain and neurological symptoms resulting from any type of condition that irritates a nerve in the cervical spine (neck). Low back pain refers to pain that you feel in your lower back. You may also have back stiffness, decreased movement of the lower back, and difficulty standing straight. After reviewing his back X ray report the doctor advised him to take occupational therapy management. An occupational therapist is a health professional trained to assess and implement rehabilitation to help optimize functional activities for patients with disabling injuries. For back pain, treatment focuses on using proper body mechanics which include using larger joints in movement, conserving energy by balancing work and rest, and listening to pain signals to avoid overexertion. An occupational therapist will examine overall activities of the patient at home, work, and during recreation. Low back pain affects people of all ages, from children to the elderly, and is a very frequent reason for medical consultations. The 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study estimated that low back pain is among the top 10 diseases and injuries that account for the highest number worldwide. It is difficult to estimate the incidence of low back pain as the incidence of first-ever episodes of low back pain is already high by early adulthood and symptoms tend to recur over time. The lifetime prevalence of non-specific (common) low back pain is estimated at 60% to 70% in industrialized countries (one-year prevalence 15% to 45%, adult incidence 5% per year). The prevalence rate for children and adolescents is lower than that seen in adults but is rising. Prevalence increases and peaks between the ages of 35 and 55.As the world population ages, low back pain will increase substantially due to the deterioration of the intervertebral discs in older people. Neck pain is also a common symptom among the middle aged population. During preceding month it has been shown that men are affected about 24% and female about 37% had suffered from neck pain. According to recent systematic reviews, the one-year prevalence of neck pain of any type varies between 2% and 80% and is higher among women than men. In Denmark, a higher one-month prevalence among 100-year-olds was found; 23% and 19% for women and men respectively (Skillgate et al., 2012) Occupational Therapy has a great role to prevent neck pain and back pain by modifying the environment. It is a form of treatment where we help people to understand and learn how you should do your job whatever it is (occupation, household task, sports, driving), in a way that it follow normal body biomechanics, which should not hurt your back. Lets check out what this big term biomechanics means: biomechanics is the science of movement of a living body, including how muscles, bone, tendons, and ligaments work together to produce movement. Or we can say, the application of kinesiology in daily life activities and to the prevention and correction of problems related to posture. Occupational Therapy practitioners are uniquely qualified with ergonomics, to provide services in independent living settings, as they have an understanding of dynamic interplay between the individual and the environment, and can suggest and implement modification to enhance the individuals ability to function in a given environment. An occupational therapist can help employers identify hazards that may contribute to on the-job injury, and determine how it can me eliminated. Occupational therapist initiate with analyzing activity/job and the context in which the activity is performed, as well as the consumers ability to perform the task. The therapist would then identify barriers to performance and make recommendation accordingly. Prevention Top 10 points to prevent neck pain and lower back pain 1. Maintain proper posture during working time 2. Make the right moves 3. Maintain Level of height 4. Sleep right by maintain proper position. Use hard and straight bed for sleeping. 5. Practice relaxation technique 6. Identify feeling of exertion and pain 7. Drop the load 8. Strengthen your abdominal muscles 9. Take a short break during working time 10. Perform some back strengthening activities Neck and back pain is a common problem in our country. So, if we take proper ergonomical guideline from qualified occupational therapist we can live without pain or discomfort.