What happens when you wake up fresh and early one sunny morning and decide to take an invigorating walk in your locality park ? You are likely to suffer from a back ache, reveal statistics. Studies conducted by researchers highlight that eight out of every ten adults suffer from some or the other form of backache during their life time.Now blame it on the sagging mattress you were sleeping on last night or curse the auto driver who bumped you on pot holed roads by his rash driving, but chances are that it is your life-style and your wrong posture which is showing up. Be honest enough and admit that its been ages since you last went out to exercise or made a sincere effort to correct your posture. What more? The high heels you wear to office, the phases of unresolved mental and emotional tensions you undergo, the number of times you lift heavy objects. Or it can also be the amount of pills you pop in to overcome distress, your flabby muscle tone, obesity, specific medical conditions like tumours, slipped disc, osteoporosis, osteoarthirits, spondylytis - all add to the list of the chromic backache causes.Meet Tamana Singh, a 40-year-old house wife, and you'll come to know about the problems she suffers from her back. ``It all started during my pregnancy, when I use to have awful spasms of back pain. Then slowly they became a regular feature. I now suffer from bouts of acute pain in my spine which are at times coupled with a stinging sensation, stiffness and numbness. Though I have tried regular massage and have gone in for heating therapies like the hot shower one, nothing concrete has worked out to reduce pain and ease my stressed muscles,'' she rues.Anu Talwar, a 24 year old computer professional, airs similar grievances. ``Since I have a desk-job, I hardly get time to exercise. To add to it I have to undergo a great deal of stress due to work pressure and this keeps my back, neck and shoulder muscles often taut, with the result that any sudden movement, even something as simple as answering a phone call triggers off a muscle spasm, aggravating into a chronic back ache,'' she points out.But then there are those who exercise regularly and yet complain of an aching back. ``I do aerobics daily and go for regular workouts at the gym. Then why is it that I suffer from back pains ?'' questions Rohit Kapoor, a collegian, anxiously.Here is a problem of the excess, explains Dr. S. Saluja, an orthopedic surgeon. ``One has to be careful while chalking out one's exercise schedule. Factors like age factor, fitness level of the body, vulnerability of skeleton, muscle and tissues to injuries should be borne in mind before going in for any exercise. Hence, it is always advisable to workout under the supervision of a qualified instructor,'' he cautions. ``Women are more susceptible to back pains for a number of reasons,'' adds Dr. A. S. Bhatia. ``Menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, osteoporosis, emotional stress, household chores, wrong posture, lack of a good diet, lack of any postnatal exercises are some of the causes that can lead to back-aches,'' he highlights.Dr Kaushal, an orthopaedic surgeon, explains that back-pain can result from soft tissues also, like ligaments and tendons which connect the bone, but it is largely due to a wrong posture. ``When the three curves - the cervical, thoracic and lumber are aligned normally, our body is in a balanced position. This way, our weight in distributed evenly through the vertebrate and discs so that we are less vulnerable to strain and injury. But a faulty posture like slouching can disturb this alignment, putting too much stress on the spine and resulting in a chronic ache,'' he warns.Similarly, wearing high heels can cause a lot of stress on the back as the lower part of the body tips forward and the upper trunk has to arch backwards to compensates, says Dr Kaushal.Sedentary workers are likely to suffer broom a back ache because they spend long hours sitting, often in poorly designed office chairs. Hence it is essential for them to get a good arm chair which can completely support heir back, suggests Dr. C. Garg. ``Taking a break every hour and going around for a walk to keep your circulation up can work wonders for your back,'' he suggests.So what should one do to maintain a healthy spine which allows your body to move, bend, sit, twist, turn and lift without resorting to the Ooh, Aah, Ouch syndrome ? The answer lies in Back-O-Basics.Stand with your feet spread wide. Bend from the waist keeping your knees straight and firm. With two little bounces, try to touch your left foot or get as near as possible.Swing your body up and go down again, this time to the right. Resume the same procedure as on the left foot.Again swing up using your tummy muscles. Bend forwards as far as you can till your fingers touch the floor in the front with two light bounces.Stretch your hands back wards through your legs and try to touch the floor behind with two little bounces. Repeat each sequence five times.To end the workout, lie on your back with your legs spread out and relax your knees and ankles. Spread out your arm and shoulders flat. Push your waist flat to the ground, keeping your neck and shoulders relaxed and chin up.Close your eyes and breathe slowly and deeply. Lie there for a few minutes and just relax.
