Spine
Even after recovery , some patients continue suffering from a syndrome called long COVID which , for a significant number of people , can cause problems related to the brain
Patients may also have stroke-like symptoms such as slurred speech , drooping of the face muscles , and weakness of the arms or legs , which can all be very serious . This is because COVID-19 causes damage to the blood vessels , including those that supply the brain .
Even after recovery , some patients continue suffering from a syndrome called long COVID which , for a significant number of people , can cause problems related to the brain .
“ These include not feeling you ’ re back to your usual self in terms of your acuity in using your brain — a form of brain fog . Things don ’ t appear clear , and those who have been tested show there ’ s cognitive dysfunction or cognitive impairment that can last for months ,” said Dr Prem .
Some people also find they have seizures as well as tremors in their hand because of irritability in the nervous system . Most of the symptoms can be treated with a variety of medications to strengthen braincells and specific cognitive therapies to help with a variety of the mental health issues , he added .
At the best of times , spinal problems , such as back and neck pain , are some of the most common causes of disability . However , because of the widespread lockdowns many have faced during the pandemic , these have come to increasing prominence as people stay at home and move around less .
While people in many cities continue to be in lockdown as vaccinations are gradually given in a bid to build a nation ’ s immunity , or elsewhere , workplaces are open for a few weeks and then closed for months to allow COVID-19 cases to settle down , they have become accustomed to commuting from the bedroom to the kitchen via the kettle and fridge . There is even talk that home-working will remain the norm for many people long after the coronavirus becomes as much part of life as the seasonal flu .
“ Covid in fact seems to have aggravated existing chronic problems and caused acute and chronic flares for spine problems and some muscular skeletal problems . Now we ’ re seeing more people turning up with pain caused by this new situation ,” said Dr Prem .
Even younger people are finding that they ’ re suffering after spending the whole day seated , whereas previously , even in an office environment , they would regularly be leaving their desks and walking around , which takes a lot of pressure off the spine .
“ A lot of us now are just sitting too much . With prolonged sitting , there ’ s additional stress on the spine , and this causes the disc to deteriorate ,” said Dr Prem .
The disc is a gel-like structure situated between the bones in the spine . When we stay seated for long periods and place stress on the gel , cracks start to appear on the outer coating of the disk , which allow the gel to ooze through and potentially hit the surrounding nerves inside the spine .
It also doesn ’ t help that there ’ s been an explosion in obesity over the last year . This excess weight magnifies problems with the spine . According to Dr Prem , for every five kilos of weight added to the front of the abdomen , the fulcrum effect leads to an increase of 10-25 kilos of stress on the lower back .
“ In fact , in this pandemic we have so many factors that are actually being aggregated . We have people who are sitting a lot , eating a lot of comfort food because it ’ s stressful being alone , and working from home , and so your weight increases .
“ Spine problems are part of what ’ s becoming a sitting disease . I have a lot of people who have been coming in — both my older patients and newer ones who are seeing me because of COVID and the pandemic . They ’ re sitting not only to work but also sitting in front of the TV or in front of their computers , iPads , and smartphones . These are all having an accumulative stress on the spine ,” he said .
To those who are forced to spend days and weeks at home , neurologists , physiotherapists , and osteopaths are united in their advice to seek out ergonomic chairs and desks to take the pressure off the bones , joints , and soft tissues that can be affected by poor posture . Kitchen tables and chairs may be comfortable for the extent of a dinner sitting , but not for the peculiar stresses placed on the body while working on a laptop .
Ergonomic chairs are widely available , and their cost has gone down so that an increasing number of people have been buying them for home use . Some ergonomic desks are even motorised and allow the
Bad posture can cause damage to the spine
50 JUNE 2021 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com