Covid-19 has confined us in homes for months much to our agony both physical and mental. The “work from home” culture involving prolonged sitting in front of the computer has put tremendous stress on our backs and necks.

Unaccustomed activities, like doing household activities in absence of housemaids, also are leading to increasing complaints of back and neck pain in the general population. Added to this, lack of outdoor physical exercise, gym sessions have led to muscle wasting, fatigue which have compounded back problems.

Supplemented with that, various forms of mental disturbance from confinement like depression, anxiety, fear also has led to increasing complaints of ill localized back or neck pain what we doctors call ‘somatisation’ symptoms.

As the pandemic is sweeping across the world with its ugly fangs, hospitals are getting fuller with Covid patients. That treatment being the utmost priority, a lot of manpower and facilities are being diverted to the Covid units, leaving the non-Covid services in a lurch. Added to this, there is a fear psychosis amongst the non Covid patients for visiting hospitals teeming with Covid patients – this dilemma has led to patients with simple problems like back pain suffering a lot in this period.

Back pain is usually due to wear and tear of spinal elements like the vertebral column, ligaments, and muscles of the back. Also sometimes the nerves coming out of the spine are affected resulting in pain coming down the hands or legs along with tingling and numbness.

Occasionally urinary symptoms are there like the urge to pass urine immediately or the inability to pass the whole volume of urine at a go. In the case of back or neck pain, especially the end of the day pain, the cause is muscle fatigue.

One must modify the posture of sitting or standing to alleviate this. If you are sitting for a prolonged period, ensure that the monitor is at an eye-level, with the hands resting on the handles of the chair.

Also, prefer a chair with a long back for neck support – such chairs are readily available in furniture shops now. Do some stretching exercises of the neck and back during the short meeting breaks. If possible take hourly breaks for five minutes or so, to change the posture.

For those with a known history of spondylosis, it is better to use a supporting belt (lumbar or cervical) during prolonged periods of sitting. A warm compress to the back in the evening will do wonders to relieve the muscle pain. For those doing unaccustomed heavy work at home, posture correction is essential.

Learn and practice the correct way of lifting heavy weights and correct posture of doing household chores like mopping the floors. Make a family member observe you and repeatedly warn you in case of the wrong posture.

In both cases, the most important factor to reduce back and neck muscle fatigue is to keep the back and neck muscles toned. This can be done by some simple exercises like static neck exercises and spinal extension exercises along with practicing some basic yoga postures.

If space is available for walking avoiding crowds, like your rooftop, then practice brisk walking for 15 minutes to half an hour a day. Warning signs for consulting a physician are leg or hand pain, tingling, and numbness. Urinary symptoms are a red flag sign.

In these cases, it will be unjust to avoid going to doctor’s clinics or hospitals. Every such place is protected adequately to minimise Covid transmission and the chance of contracting Covid by visiting a doctor is usually very minimal. The doctor after examination may do some tests like MRI to arrive at a diagnosis and start necessary treatment.

In case of severe back or neck pain, it is advisable to take full rest for 7 days along with painkillers, muscle relaxants, nerve soothers under the strict supervision of your doctor. Avoid all exercises during this period.

Lastly, mood upliftment during this trying time will help you to alleviate the feelings of pain.

Think positive, shun all negative news and stories, do meditation, spend quality time with kids and or pets, watch your favorite movies, listen to cheerful songs, learn some new hobby or skill. As they say, “Our greatest joy and our greatest pain come in our relationships with others.” Brace the “New Normal” with grace.