By
Tricitynews
Chandigarh 02nd July:- As many as 55 senior
citizens attended a health talk on spine disease today.
Dr Harsimrat Bir Singh Sodhi, consultant-Neurosurgery at
Alchemist Hospital, Panchkula said that elderly patients are more prone to
spine related problems, owing to age related degenerative changes in disc
dehydration, hypertrophy and osteophytes. These all changes combine to produce
nerve related pain and compressive of nerves at their exit foramina (canal
stenosis).
Dr Harsimrat Bir Singh Sodhi further said that these changes can
occur in the whole spine from neck to lower back when upper spine is affected or
cervical spondylitis, patients’ experience pain in the arms, weakness in hand
grip, or tightness of both legs. If similar changes occur in lower spine, there
occurs pain in the back, pain in any of the legs or difficulty in walking.
Elderly patients also suffer from osteoporotic fractures, due to decreased bone
density with age. This leads to backache and worsening bent posture of the
back, asserted Dr Sodhi.
He stressed the role of physiotherapy and regular exercise in
preventing early development and progression of these spine related problems.
For severe compression, surgery has a good role in bringing patients back to
their normal daily routine, provided it is undertaken at an early stage and
with specific indications said Dr Sodhi adding the misconception that spine
surgery leads to poor outcome and bedridden status is entirely wrong.
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