Is spinal disorder most common health issue among Indian youth?

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Spinal ailments that were mostly detected in senior citizens a decade ago have now been commonly seen in youth falling in the age group of 20-30, say doctors.

According to a recent study, every fifth Indian is suffering from some type of spinal ailment and a 60 per cent rise in spinal problems among youth has also been observed.

"Prolonged sitting in the same posture can add a tremendous amount of pressure to the back muscles and spinal discs, a slouched position can over-stretch the spinal ligaments and strain the spinal discs and cause major pain in back and neck. This is the prime reason for rise in back problems among youths," said Raju Vaishya, Sr Consultant Orthopaedic and Joint Replacement Surgeon at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital.

He said similar to sitting, prolonged standing also has health implications.

"Standing keeps the body in an upright position, which requires considerable muscular effort. Prolonged standing results in pooling of blood in the legs with reduction in blood in active circulation. Insufficient blood flow further accelerates the onset of fatigue and causes pain in the muscles of the legs, back and neck," said Vaishya.

Earlier, surveys had also found that 50 percent of Indian children and teenagers are prone to spinal problems due to the high use of mobile phones .

(With IANS inputs)