Dealing with muscle pain

In times of COVID-19 and the lockdown, most people have been staying indoors and levels of activity have decreased significantly. Work from home has become the new norm and we may see more of it even if the COVID-19 pandemic resolves.

For online classes, students have to sit for long hours in front of laptops or mobiles, often maintaining an incorrect posture on the bed rather than using a table and chair. Sitting at the desk or on the sofa watching TV for a long time weakens and tightens muscles, stiffening the back, shoulders and neck.

Dr Kaushal Malhan, Director Orthopaedics and Joint Replacement surgeon at Fortis Hospital Mulund points out: “A survey conducted at UK’s Institute for Employment Studies (IES) found that more than half of those who responded, said they were experiencing new neck, shoulder or back pain. Maintaining a healthy diet and exercise plummeted over a fortnight since, with 60 percent saying they are exercising less, a third eating less healthily and 20 percent saying they were consuming more alcohol. Almost two-thirds (64 percent) of the 500 respondents said they were sleeping less, while 48 percent said their new working life involved increased and irregular hours.”

Dr Malhan notes the common causes of muscle pain we see nowadays include:

Read More: https://www.bhaskarlive.in/dealing-with-muscle-pain/