Heal spondylitis with correct posture and exercise

If you have an elderly at home, you will be most familiar with the term ‘spondylitis.’

A chronic neck and back pain which shoots up on movement, spondylitis gets only worse in the colder months of the year. In more severe cases, it starts transmitting the pain to the hands and legs, leaving one almost handicapped and incapacitated of an active and happy life. It can start affecting the family as a whole. 

So what causes spondylitis and what are the possible cures? Dr HS Chhabra, secretary, Association of Spine Surgeons of India (ASSI) and Medical Director, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC), says, “Many people use the words spondylosis and spondylitis interchangeably, but spondylosis is the term referring to a general wear and tear of the spine and ligaments, while spondylitis is a different inflammation of the spine.”

“As we age, the discs of our spine degenerate and become thin. This reduces their shock absorbing capacity and stresses the joints and ligaments. In more serious cases, the spine can start compressing the spinal cord leading to numbness of the nerves, in turn, leading to pain in the limbs. Depending on where it is occurring, it is classified as ‘cervical spondylosis,’ that is spondylosis in the neck, and ‘lumbar spondylosis,’that is spondylosis in the lower back.”

Apart from age, the reasons for this condition can vary from injury to the backbone to a deformity in the vertebrae. But a factor that is increasingly giving rise to spondylosis is a sedentary lifestyle and bad postures.

Dr Manoj Miglani, consultant, Department of Orthopaedics, Spine Surgery and Joint Replacement, Fortis Hospital Vasant Kunj, says, “If you look at the spinal column sideways, you will see an S-shape marked by forward and backward curves. A good posture is one that maintains these curves and does not exaggerate or obliterate any of these.”

“Unfortunately, our sedentary lifestyle, which includes sitting in one position for very long, and bad postures, including slouching, hinder the natural curves of the spine leading to back problems. This is emerging as a big factor for spondylitis these days besides also younger cases of the condition coming up.”

Thankfully, in most cases, exercises under supervision and physiotherapy suffice to cure the condition. Dr Rajendra Prasad, senior consultant, Neurosurgery, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, explains, “It is mostly a lifestyle disease and mild painkillers, gels, sprays, medication, and physical activity can heal it.”

“In advanced cases, one needs to go for laser treatment and surgery to correct the spine. However, a lot of patients also confuse TB of the spine and Ankylosing spondylitis, an autoimmune disorder of the spine, with spondylitis. This can become very dangerous. Consult a doctor immediately if pain persists before it gets worse.”