Doctors warn that sitting posture makes office workers 'age their bones' faster

Many young people, especially office workers, have had to face early degeneration and spinal damage due to prolonged bad sitting posture habits.

Why does incorrect sitting posture cause early degeneration?

Specialist Doctor 1 Nguyen Hai Tam, Department of Neurosurgery - Spine, Nam Sai Gon International General Hospital said that spinal degeneration is a natural aging process of structures in the spine such as discs, intervertebral joints, ligaments and bones. This condition can occur in any segment, but is most common in the neck and lower back, causing symptoms such as dull pain or severe pain in the area, morning stiffness, muscle fatigue, and limited mobility.

"Sitting with a hunched back and head bowed for a long time puts uneven pressure on the spine, causing an imbalance in the supporting axis. The vertebrae and discs are constantly overloaded, leading to repeated micro-damage, thereby promoting the degeneration process to occur sooner than normal," Dr. Tam emphasized.

Wrong and correct sitting posture at work

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Long-term consequences

Sitting in the wrong position for a long time causes the intervertebral discs to be compressed, dehydrated and the fibrous membrane to tear, thereby forming a herniated disc that compresses the nerve roots. The patient may experience pain radiating from the neck down to the shoulders, or from the lower back down to the legs, accompanied by numbness and limited mobility. If left untreated, the condition can progress to spinal stenosis, bone spurs, and even limb weakness.

Doctor Tam warns that many young people are subjective because they think it is just "transient pain and fatigue". By the time they go to the hospital, it is already in the late stages, and treatment becomes more complicated and expensive.

Spinal degeneration usually starts at 30-40 years old and becomes obvious after 60 years old. However, Dr. Tam said that clinical practice has recorded many people who are only 25-35 years old showing early signs of degeneration. The main cause is prolonged sitting in the wrong posture, especially when bending the head to use the computer or phone for more than 3-4 hours/day, along with a sedentary lifestyle or a history of spinal injury.

What to do to prevent

According to Dr. Tam, we can proactively prevent spinal degeneration from a young age by:

Maintain correct posture: Sit up straight, eyes level with the screen, use a chair with a backrest. Take a 5-10 minute break after every 45 minutes of work. When sleeping, lie on your back or side with a low pillow (5-7 cm), avoid lying on your stomach.

In addition, we need to exercise regularly, maintain a reasonable weight; reduce stress, quit smoking; have regular health check-ups, especially when there are signs: neck pain, numbness in the hands, prolonged stiff neck or a history of trauma.

"Spinal degeneration is not an inevitable part of aging. If properly cared for, the spine can be completely protected and maintained healthy for a long time," Dr. Tam shared.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bac-si-canh-bao-tu-the-ngoi-khien-dan-van-phong-gia-xuong-nhanh-hon-185251006003636766.htm