When is the last time you thought about your posture? A few people, maybe. However, by large, it’s not a common concern. But maybe it should be. All day in a chair or at a desk, the prevalence of phones and tablets, it all comes together to create quite the strain on the back and spine. Even if not now, it will. It’s a matter of time.
Ken Hansraj, MD, spends more of his time thinking about the back and spine, alongside the importance of posture, more than most. He’s a spine surgeon, he penned an aptly titled book called Watch Your Back, and he pulled international attention to the global health problem of “Text Neck.”
But his passion for the back and spine hasn’t cooled. He has been thinking about approaches to improve posture and reduce the risk of chronic neck and back pain, and On World Spine Day, he is going to be discussing all of it. He’ll dive into the impact of modern lifestyles on the spine and share his new proprietary approach, all to teach people how to align the body to achieve better health, reduce pain, and boost overall wellbeing. That’s quite important in today’s digital age.
Dr. Hansraj’s talk will explore the modern influences and technological advances negatively impacting the human spine, which have caused an uptick in chronic neck and back pain around the world. He also plans to share ways to improve posture and reduce the risk of pain.
The talk and approaches will be shared with a peer group of over 380,000 physician members and the general public on the Docplexus platform on the 16th of October 2024 at 3:00pm IST.
“As a spinal surgeon, I have treated countless patients who suffered with chronic pain due to poor posture,” said Dr. Hansraj. “Chronic pain, particularly, back pain, can significantly diminish a person’s quality of life. With increased screen time and use of electronics, I am seeing more cases of chronic neck and back pain, and alarmingly, the patients are getting younger.”
The uptick is caused by the impact of our modern lives. This includes regular electronic use since that can cause improper posture, resulting in excessive strain on neck bones and discs that can accelerate degeneration and cause muscle strain, herniated discs, and pinched nerves. Poor posture can also lead to deformities that develop over time such as kyphosis (a hunched back), as well as a reduction in lung capacity by up to 30%, negatively affecting overall health.
Of course, we all know about better posture — keeping the eyes level, opening the chest, and standing tall — but Dr. Hansraj believes there is more to consider. The traditional advice is important, but it is limited and static — two-dimensional. To address that, he developed a more comprehensive and dynamic approach, something more three-dimensional that better addresses how our bodies move and function in today’s world and everyday life.
The new methods are designed to safeguard spinal health, reduce the need for surgery, and improve overall health. This is not just great for individual health, something the millions of people around the world suffering from chronic neck and back pain can utilize, but also for the global economy. Since it is estimated that these issues cost the global economy billions of dollars, proper posture is a crucial part to not only public health but also lower healthcare costs.
So, if you want to learn more about Dr. Hansraj’s new strategies to reduce back and neck pain, sign up at Docplexus. Though, you might want to sit up straight and avoid attending on a phone.
