In the past two years since the COVID-19 pandemic first struck, almost 60% of those who can work from home have made the switch and now work most of the time remotely. This sudden and dramatic shift to remote work has been a welcome one for many, as they’re able to enjoy the comforts of their own home and avoid commuting. Unfortunately, it has also been a great source of neck pain as workers try to figure out their home offices.
As your foundational structure, your spine is incredibly important to your overall health and you want to do all you can to make sure it’s in good shape. Unfortunately, as you age, the wear-and-tear can add up and cause certain structures in your spine to break down, which perfectly describes degenerative disc disease.
Tingling in your hands, pain that shoots down one of your legs, loss of grip — these are all symptoms of a condition called radiculopathy. While these symptoms develop in areas that are fairly far from your spine, the underlying cause of the problem typically lies in your neck or lower back.
Spondylolisthesis — the odds are good that you’ve never heard of this condition until we diagnosed it as the source of your back pain. Unlike many back problems, this condition can strike at any age — 6-7% of people under the age of 18 have isthmic spondylolisthesis and degenerative spondylolisthesis is found in up to 18% of adults in the United States who undergo an MRI on their lumbar spines.
We often don’t fully appreciate how much we rely on a certain area of our body until it’s compromised, which can definitely be said of the neck. Just think, you use your neck to see and hear the world around you so when pain and/or stiffness develops, your senses may be dulled. Not to mention, the discomfort that accompanies neck problems can make activities like working at the computer almost unendurable.
