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Modern Lifestyle Is Killing Our Backs

Long working hours, computers and walking on pavement are turning youngsters into a generation of "grannies"

Jun 5, 2008 08:11 GMT  ·  By
Back, hip and joint pains are common among young people these days
   Back, hip and joint pains are common among young people these days

If you thought that living in an age where communication is the easiest thing in the world and a world of knowledge is at our fingertips at the touch of a few buttons was the best thing that could have happened to you - think again. It's true, a modern lifestyle means that our lives are about a million times easier than those of our ancestors - not to mention the added benefits of fashion, makeup and being able to wash our own clothes courtesy of a washing machine rather than in a lake or river. I'm joking, of course - well, up to a point, at least. Under these circumstances, we'd all expect modern life to put less strain on our backs - literally. However, a recent survey shows that young people nowadays are suffering ten times more back pain than their parents did at the same age.

And believe it or not, computers are one of the main causes for this unusual set of circumstances, which sees one-third of youngsters under 25 relying on painkillers to ease the aches and live with their back pains, creaking knees and stooped shoulders. Long hours spent hunched over our PCs at work and over our PlayStations at home are not helping our backs get into shape. In even more shocking news, the survey also pointed out that painful knees affect about 60% of the teenagers under 18 in developed countries such as the States and the UK. In other words, our sedentary lives, long hours at work and lack of exercise are beginning to take their toll on the younger generation.

Another problem is being forced to walk on pavement all day long rather than walking over natural landscape. This causes not only troubles with our backs, but also poor posture, ankle injuries and joint pain. In other words, our modern lifestyles are turning us into our grannies. "Are we going to start seeing teenagers in treatment for hip problems, a problem that just a decade ago was reserved solely for the over 60s?", asks Joshua Wies, a UK chartered physiotherapist. "City life is behind many of these issues - the flat surfaces we walk on rob us of any stimulus, preventing our muscles from being used properly and leading to posture issues, painful joints and misalignment of the spine". The answer is simple - once work is done, stand up and start walking. Go hiking over the weekends and control your posture. You'll be surprised at the results.