Spine complaints increase in 18-24 age group: Study

With an 156 per cent jump in consultations with spine specialists, a young population between the age group of 18 to 24 years in the city has been battling with joint and spine-related issues, according to the report released by Practo, a healthcare platform. 

The other big spike was seen in appointments for pulmonologists (61 per cent) and psychotherapists (57 per cent). 

The report covers the disease and illness trends across India. With over 45 million appointments on its platform annually, the findings are an interpretation of the healthcare appointments made across top seven cities like Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Delhi and National Capital Region, covering more than 200 medical specialties. 

The platform has a large chunk of appointments from Chennai, with more youngsters opting for such consultations. 

Commenting on the rise in joint and spine related ailments along young professionals, Dr AB Govindraj, Orthopedics and Joint Replacement, Fortis Malar Hospital, said that it was a result of long hours of sitting. He said, “A study has proved that those engaged in sitting jobs suffer from lower back pain in the long run.” 

He added that it was therefore essential to maintain a healthy weight and exercising, which can reduce the impact of such stress on the person. “We cannot avoid  the natural wear and tear, but we can definitely reduce the impact of such problems,” he said. 

Similarly, pulmonologists also say that they have been seeing a rise in respiratory conditions among the city residents due to a number of reasons. K Thiruppathi, a city based pulmonologist, says, “The pollution rates are spiralling and Chennai is no exception. This apart, conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder are also bound by some other factors like indoor pollution, festival-related pollution to name a few.” 

Interestingly, the survey points out a spike in psychotherapy consultations too, indicating that there is an openness to consult on health issues. 

City based psychologist Dr Mini Rao explains, “there are many age group related issues that affect mental health - exam stress among school and college students, relationship stress after 16 or 17 years. Psychotherapy, a structured form of counselling can be applied for any issues - from depression to anxiety disorder.”