People’s rally demands recall of Governor
Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Jan 4: “How could they impeach the speaker when 14 of them, a day earlier were disqualified for their conduct?” said former Lok Sabha MP Takam Sanjoy referring to the impeachment of Speaker Nabam Rebia by the dissident MLAs along with the MLAs from BJP and Independents on December 16 last.
He was addressing a massive crowd of more than 10 thousand gathered today at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium from all across the state for Arunachal People’s rally to show their support to Nabam Tuki led state government. The rally was organized to demand recall of Governor J P Rajkhowa, immediate resignation of Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju and arrest of former finance minister Kalikho Pul.
“And how could the deputy speaker even impeach the speaker when he himself had become
Ex-
Equating the rally to a Court, he accused the Governor of fixing the dates of the winter session of the State assembly in connivance with the dissident MLAs.
Home Minister Tanga Byaling appealed the government at the Centre to recall Governor J P Rajkhowa.
“Or the Governor himself should resign from his post,” he called.
He said that inability to do so will invite their retort in the form of boycott.
“We will boycott the visits of both the Governor and MoS Kiren Rijiju,” the Home Minister said.
The audio clip where a voice alleged to be of former finance minister Kalikho Pul’s is heard making derogatory remarks against a community was also played during the programme.
Byaling denouncing Pul for his part said, “How can we support someone who is trying to break our society. If he can say bad things about a community now, he will say bad things about another community also.”
“Kalikho Pul has been MLA for so many years, how could he malign a community’s name,” Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Padi Richo said.
“It’s not just against Nyishi Community, it is against every tribe of the state,” said Civil Supplies Minister Tirong Aboh.
“With such mentality, how will he serve the people,” Arunachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Coordination Committee president Sushil Nalo said. The ministers also expressed anger over the footage aired on Times Now where the Education Minister Tapang Taloh is seen shouting at the Governor.
“Let people judge,” Tapang Taloh said demanding full footage of the incident to be shown for the truth to be out and claimed that the video clip was edited.
Calling the governor arrogant, he alleged that the governor misbehaved with Chief Minister Nabam Tuki and that all council of ministers were subjected to frisking upon entering the Raj Bhawan by the security personnel.
APCC President Padi Richo further urged state BJP unit to take action against its 11 MLAs for allegedly camping in New Delhi and not doing their work.
“We in the Congress party have done our part by taking action against the dissident MLAs. BJP should now do their part,” he said.
He alleged that the Central government is trying to destabilize Nabam Tuki led Congress government in the state by deputing security forces.
“Please send it to those areas where it is most needed, like Manipur and Nagaland,” he said.
Student leaders also expressed their anger over the non-
All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) President Kamta Lapung said that the Tuki led state government has always been supportive of their stand and has always called them for talks unlike other earlier governments who have always worked against them.
He alleged that none of the MPs -
“Not even the dissident MLAs approached us,” he lamented.
President of Aka Miji Students Union Kley Rijiju also claimed that despite being of the same community, Kiren Rijiju never helped them.
He also expressed sadness that the demand of Bichum district is still lying unfulfilled since 1996.
Many other Congress heavyweights from Tuki camp came ahead and spoke against the dissident MLA leader Kalikho Pul, MoS Kiren Rijiju for his alleged role in trying to destabilize the Tuki led state government, and Governor JP Rajkhowa.
Rampant extortion by NSCN (R) in TLC districts
KHONSA, Jan 04: Rampant extortion by NSCN (Reformation) is going on in Tirap, Changlang and Longding district as Security Forces along with State Police arrested two of its cadres from Kheti village of Tirap district on Sunday.
The personnel of 1st Assam Rifles, Assam Rifles Field Intelligence Unit and state Police conducted a joint search operation at Kheti village which led to arrest of the two NSCN (R) cadres who have been identified as SS Lt Wingan Agan (26) and SS Sergeant Damwang Bangsia, both from Tirap district.
One assault Rifle, one Automatic Pistol with ammunition, extortion notes and receipt/letter head of NSCN (Reformation) were recovered from them.
The local residents on condition of anonymity said that these cadres had been threatening local people and carrying out rampant extortion.
They also said that all the reformation group members including their leadership in the district of Longding, Tirap and Changlang have started threatening local people and also carrying out forced recruitment of cadres and extortion, AR said.
This is the 2nd successful operation launched by 1st Assam Rifles in Tirap district.
In an earlier operation carried out on November 19, 2015. Security forces recovered one Automatic Pistol, ammunition, round stamp and appointment stamp of NSCN (Reformation) faction, extortion money and several undelivered and delivered extortion notes on the faction’s letter head addressed to public and government officials were recovered from Kheti village. With this regard, an FIR dated 20/11/15 was already registered at Khonsa Police Station by the Security Forces.
The NSCN (Reformation) was formed post abrogation of ceasefire by NSCN (Khaplang).
Since April 2015, the NSCN (Reformation) is attempting to establish its base in the districts of Longding, Tirap and Changlang.
The 'Reformation’ group is now extensively involved in extortion in the form of tax
collection and they are not sparing any section of the society be it poor villagers,
government employees, business community, unemployed and school administration. The
so-
To force submission, the NSCN (Reformation) has also started brandishing weapons openly and are using the same to threaten public for extortion.
The authorities as well as the Ceasefire Monitoring Group should take note of the self serving intention of newly formed NSCN (Reformation) and rein in their cadres back to designated camps. DIPRO
9 Killed, over 100 injured in NE earthquake
IMPHAL/GUWAHATI, Jan 4: At least nine persons were killed and over 100 injured as a strong 6.8 magnitude earthquake epicentred in Manipur today struck the northeastern and eastern regions, damaging buildings and sparking panic that sent people scampering out of their homes.
While seven people were killed in Manipur, one each died in Bihar and West Bengal
after suffering heart attacks following the earthquake that hit at around 4.30 AM
with its epicenter being at Kabui Kjulen, 10km from Noney sub-
The epicentre of the quake was at a depth of 17km in Tamenglong district where many buildings collapsed or developed cracks. But no casualties reported from Tamenglong.
"The epicentre was near the river Barak, so there was little damage. Though cracks have been reported from many houses, so far there has been no report of any casualty," Additional Deputy Commissioner Joseph Paulin told PTI.
About 100 people received injuries and of them 33 were in serious condition and admitted to different hospitals in Manipur, official sources said.
Several buildings in Manipur secretariat and the landmark Ima market in Imphal developed cracks while some school structures collapsed.
People were jolted out of their sleep in northeastern and eastern states including, Assam, Tripura, West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand, and many of them scampered out of their homes.
Army and Air Force have mounted relief operations and two teams of National Disaster Response Force were rushed to Imphal while one was being sent to Assam where at least 20 people were injured.
National Disaster Response Force teams have been rushed to earthquake hit areas of
North-
The Home Ministry is actively monitoring the situation after the earthquake in the Northeastern region. NDRF teams, including from Guwahati, have rushed to the affected areas, he said.
The Home Minister briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over phone about the situation and the steps taken for rescue and relief.
The Prime Minister said in a tweet that he has asked Singh to oversee the situation arising out of the quake. Singh also spoke to Chief Ministers of the region and took stock of the situation in each state.
A Home Ministry spokesperson said that the National Crisis Management Committee, headed by the Cabinet Secretary, is holding a meeting to review the situation. PTI
Meanwhile, Kiren Rijiju, union minister of state for home affairs, visited areas in Manipur that were affected by Monday's earthquake. Rijiju took stock of the ground situation and assessed the damage caused by the quake. according to TOI report.
No report of casualty or damage in Arunachal
ITANAGAR: The tremor was also felt in entire Arunachal Pradesh at 4.35 am.
People ran out of their houses in panic, particularly those living in high-
However, there were no reports of loss of life or damage to property from anywhere in the state so far, according to official report.
Meanwhile, Minister for PHED and Disaster Management & Rehabilitation, Takam Pario while citing the reports collected from most of the district administrations, confirmed that so far there is no report of any casualty and damages due to earthquake. However, he appealed to the people of the state to take extra precaution as the natural calamity can not be predicted.
HC hearing on Arunachal Assembly to continue today
GUWAHATI, Jan 4: The Gauhati High Court today heard a batch of interlocutory applications filed by Arunachal Pradesh Assembly's Deputy Speaker T Norbu and some MLAs to vacate or modify the Court's earlier order of keeping the Assembly's December 16 proceedings in abeyance.
Justice B K Sharma, after hearing the applications, fixed the case for further hearing tomorrow.
The High Court had on December 21 given an order directing not to hold any session till January 4, 2016 of Arunachal Pradesh Assembly after hearing a batch of interlocutory applications filed by the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly and some MLAs.
The interlocutory applications were a prayer to vacate/modify the court's interim order dated December 17 last on the ground that under Article 212, the proceedings of any legislature of a state cannot be interfered with by the court.
The applicants had stated that the court had interfered with its interim order keeping in abeyance the decision(s) of the session held on December 16, 2015.
The writ petition by the Speaker of Arunachal Pradesh Assembly, Nabam Rebia, was filed challenging the notification issued by Governor J P Rajkhowa on December 9 preponing the assembly session to December 16 from January 14, 2016 and also the notification issued by the Deputy Speaker restoring the suspended 14 MLAs.
The writ petition had also challenged the order of the Deputy Speaker for holding of the session at a new place and the decision(s) of the December 16 session.
Justice Hrishikesh Roy, after hearing the case on December 17, had issued notice and in the interim kept in abeyance the decisions of the assembly passed in the December 16 session and had fixed the case for hearing on February 1, 2016.
A political crisis was triggered in Arunachal Pradesh with 21 of the 47 Congress
MLAs in the 60-
Five arrested for circulating fake currency note
CHANGLANG, Jan 4: Five persons, including two women, involved in circulating high
quality counterfeit Indian currency note in the markets of Miao were arrested from
Miao-
Three of the arrested persons have been identified as Ali Ahammad (52), Habel Ud Din (36) and Amin Ul Islam (19), all from Satarakanara village under Baghbar Police Station, Barpeta, Assam.
Police have seized 21 high quality fake Indian notes of 500 denomination from their possession and market along with two mobile handsets and Indian currency notes.
A criminal case has been registered at Miao Police Station U/S-
Mihin Gambo, SDPO, Miao led the team of police from Miao and Kharsang Police Stations during the operation. DIPRO
LDV DA bans liquor, drugs in tourist spots
ROING, Jan 04: To prevent accident and untoward incident, Lower Dibang Valley District Administration has banned liquor and other drugs items in all tourist spots in the district.
Deputy Commissioner Ravi Dhawan sought cooperation from all tourist and visitors to support the checking team for their safety and pleasant visit.
DSP Habung Hailyang informed that all the visitors taking entry pass to visit Mayudia Pass is being given awareness at Shantipur Check Gate.
A police team has been deployed at 6 kilo and checking has been intensified, he said. He further informed that most of the tourists coming from outside to visit Mayudia Pass are unaware of the hilly terrain and driving under influence of liquor put together their life and property at risk. DIPRO
Pario reacts
ITANAGAR, Jan 4: Reacting to the allegation leveled by Jan Andolan Committee of BJP
regarding payment of PDS/HTS Bills, PHED and Disaster Management & Rehabilitation
Minister Takam Pario today said that JAC is in wrong notion adding “those sub-
Regarding the status of present Govt he further said “We have absolute majority that is why people from every district including senior citizen and organizations have been cooperating and supporting the Govt.”
Bui wins re-
DAPORIJO, Jan 4: Puto Bui, an independent candidate, has won the re-
The Re-
The ZPM seat was vacated as per the instructions of the High Court. DIPRO
AAPBSU stages dharna
ITANAGAR, Jan 4: The All Arunachal Pradesh Border Students’ Union (AAPBSU) has organized a Dharna at Tennis Court, IG Park here today demanding early release of its president Atung Tana who has been arrested by the Itanagar police on Jan 2.
Claiming that the allegations leveled against Tana are baseless and politically motivated, the Union said that if submission of memorandum to concerned authority is a crime then democracy is in danger in the state under the present state government.
Hundreds celebrate Maa Sarada Devi’s 163rd birth anniversary
AALO, Jan 4: Over 300 well-
The celebrations began with vedic chanting and stotras by monks followed by reading of life and teachings of Sri Maa Sarada Devi. Blankets were also distributed to all casual labourers of the school. (DIPRO)
100 youths selected to undergo skill development training
SEPPA, Jan 4: In all, 100 unemployed youths of East Kameng district have been selected
to undergo three-
The training shall be provided by Team Lease Service Limited under the supervision of District Urban Development Agency & Housing.
While briefing the trainees at Kameng Hall, DC Sandeep Kumar Singh advised the trainees
to remain sincere towards their training which would help them become self-
Deputy Director, DUDA Takar Tachang also asked the training provider to submit the attendance of the trainees from time to time to ensure cent percent attendance. (DIPRO)
CM’s football and volleyball trophy starts
TEZU, Jan 4: The third edition of district level Chief Minister's trophy on football
and volleyball 2015-
Attending the inaugural function, former minister Nakul Chai called on the players to play the games in the true sportsmanship spirit. Stating that there was no dearth of sporting talents in the district, he opined that such tournaments could help the youths to hone their sporting skills as well as indulge them in creative and fruitful engagement. Lauding the Chief Minister for the initiative, Chai said that the objectives of the tournament in exploring the hidden talents in the games and sports would surely bring good results in days to come thereby producing a good team from the state especially in football and volleyball.
The opening football match was won by the Tezu Bazaar Football Club against Tezu
Town Club by 3 -
The total numbers of participating teams for football (men) are 16 teams, football (women) 5 teams, volleyball (men) 6 teams and volleyball (women) 4 teams. The tournament is being organized by department of sports and youth affairs and supported by the district administration. DIPRO
DC holds development meet
TAWANG, Jan 4: Various issues related to Tawang district like prevention and control of fire mishap, power crisis, enrollment of beneficiaries under CM’s Universal Health Insurance Scheme in Tawang district were discussed during a meeting convened by Tawang Deputy Commissioner Duly Kamduk.
The Deputy Commissioner, who chaired the meeting, informed that it has been made compulsory for all vehicle owners across the country to fix high security registration plate. He also informed about setting up of mobile courts from January 20 for the purpose.
The DC discouraged everyone from participating/ organizing lotteries which is a regular and common phenomenon during festive seasons.
The meeting chalked out programme for ensuing Republic Day celebration in Tawang.
The meeting was attended by Chairperson, Zilla Parishad Jambey Tsering, HoDs, GBs and PRI members. DIPRO
Angu no more
ITANAGAR, Jan 4: Ikar Angu, a retired Assistant Sub Inspector and producer/director of the first Galo telefilm ‘Midi Mima’ had died after a brief illness at Angu village on Dec 29 last.
Earlier, Angu had served in the Fishery department as driver. He later joined the Home department on deputation as ASI and got retired last year. Angu had also produced and sang for a Galo audio album with Marto Kamdak.
He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.
Meanwhile, the Memo Ao Welfare Society (MAWS), Itanagar has deeply mourned Angu’s untimely demise, who was also one of the founding members of MAWS.
Recalling Angu as a well-
Mothers’ Vision makes surprise checks, seizes liquor, gutkas
AALO, Jan 4: As part of the four-
The organizations further appreciated the district administration, police, wine shop owners and locals for their support and cooperation for peaceful observance of the Dry Day. (DIPRO)
VKV student to represent country
ITANAGAR, Jan 04: The project presented by the students from VKV Nirjuli in the National Children’s Science Congress held in Chandigarh on December 27 has been adjudged as one of the best.
The five-
Diptimayee Tripathy was the Guide Teacher.
Group Leader Lishank has been selected to represent the country in the International Level scheduled to be held in Italy.
Awareness camp on wildlife preservation
AALO, Jan 4: An awareness camp on preservation of wildlife was organized by the Galo Students Union (GSU) in collaboration with the District Forest Office at Rikpu Ronya village here on Dec 24 last.
Addressing the people on the occasion as resource person, the officials from the forest office urged all to preserve wildlife of the said area as it comes under Yordi Ribe Subse Wildlife Sanctuary, which has been recently approved and sanctioned by the government.
Meanwhile, the GSU appealed all locals, students and youths to co-
Assembly committee re-
ITANAGAR, Jan 4: The Business Advisory Committee of the 6th Legislative Assembly
of Arunachal Pradesh has been re-
January 05
Editorial
Capital complex deserves a good quality road
After much delay, the re-
Also it is heartening to see Chief Secretary Ramesh Negi personally inspecting the
ongoing repairing work. Accompanied by Highways engineers, Chief Secretary inspected
the stretch of the highway from G-
________________________________
Readers’ Forum
Need a legislation to rid of baggage of prejudice
Dear Editor,
The surname of one of my classmates in school was Mal. The meaning of 'mal' in Bengali
is goods but it is used as an offensive slang denoting anything from a gun to wine,
from a queer man to a pretty woman. The boy had to stomach insulting comments for
having such a surname. Students poked fun at his surname even in his presence. Ultimately,
he left our school. The age-
Another dangerous aspect of surname is that it fans nepotism. Same surname of the
interviewer and the interviewee usually builds bridges over the table. If you hear
that a person is telling another, "Are you Mr. Pal? I'm also Pal.", then you can
be rest assured that they will become pals. Thus, surname can play a very dubious
role in a job interview or in a police station as it fuels caste prejudice and creates
we-
It is, therefore, necessary to impose a general ban on keeping this tale of a name in our country. It is argued that a single name can cause confusion as it is difficult to distinguish a person among his or her namesakes. This problem can easily be sorted out by replacing occupational and caste marker surnames with simple second names. A person should be given the liberty of choosing anything be it a name of a flower or his or her father's or mother's name as second name if it is not a baggage of caste or occupational heritage of horror. This has been done by Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi. He replaced his surname with an unpolluted word 'Satyarthi'.
When Shashank became India's Foreign Secretary in 2003, he was asked why he did not
have a surname. He said that his father Madanmohan was a journalist and a teacher
and he did not believe in surname. He was influenced by the reform movements of the
1910-
Surnames cause pain not only to Dalits and backward castes but also to women who
are forced to change their surnames to satisfy the patriarchal demands of their husband's
family. Recently, the supreme court of Japan has ruled that a nineteenth century
law forcing married couples to use the same surname-
The UN committee on elimination of discrimination against women has called on Japan
to revise the laws. Being a pillar of patriarchy, surname acts against aspirations
of a modern lady to get on a equal footing with her husband's. Therefore, prohibition
on the use caste-
In the midst of such movements against surnames, it is interesting that Ministry
of Corporate Affairs has issued a Circular on March 28, 2014 that an applicant is
required to disclose his or her surname for starting a company. Delhi High Court
upholds the legality of the circular in their June 29, 2015 decision. Nishant who
holds a post graduate diploma in Computer Application has challenged the verdict
in the Supreme Court of India contending that he does not use surname but holds a
valid PAN issued by the Income Tax Department and DIN issued by the Ministry of Corporate
Affairs. Moreover the passport issued to him does not mention his surname either.
Now the Supreme Court of India will examine whether such a pre-
Now, we should all realise and feel the pain of living and walking with an abusive surname. This edifice of discrimination should be destroyed so that Dalits and women of our country can breathe easy. We need a legislation to rid of our baggage of prejudice that has a label 'Pride' ( for upper castes ) or 'Patriarchy' ( for women ) or 'Pariah' ( for Dalits).
Yours,
Sujit De
Sodepur, Kolkata
Don’t let misguided mob on the streets decide our future
Dear Editor,
Why people are killing democracy and defaming Arunachal Pradesh?
Democracy and Constitution warrants that the three organs namely Executive, Legislature & Judiciary should be respected and allowed to function for establishment of the rule of law in the society.
The constitutionality and legality of actions of the Constitutional Authorities namely Governor & others are expressly and neatly written down in the provisions of Constitution, and all more, in case of any dispute, such matters are to be interpreted only by the Supreme Court and High Court but absolutely not by a few individuals with vested interest by abusing the title and powers of a Community Based Organisation of a single tribe and Students Union in a seriously illegal and unconstitutional manner.
Fundamental duties enshrined in the Constitution tell that every citizen shall fully abide by it and Laws framed there under and in force.
We the people of Arunachal Pradesh representing 26 Major tribes and 110 Minor tribes
don't agree and permit a single tribe based Community Based Organisation and Student
Unions to speak on behalf of the whole people of the state and to illegally and un-
There is no ongoing election and campaigning in the state which requires the masses to take to roads in an unlawful and dangerous manner by seriously threatening social harmony.
There are the Constitutional Authorities, Judiciary, State Legislature and the Union Government to address the political problem in the state but not by the misguided mob on the streets.
The individuals who are misguiding the people to create such huge unlawful activities
and social turmoil in the name of bandh, protest, rally, etc for non -
The misguided individuals abusing the title and power of the single tribe based CBO and Students Unions and the individuals misguiding the masses to illegal and unconstitutional activities are seriously harming the name and image of Democracy and Arunachal Pradesh and it's whole people and they should reform their thoughts and activities because they are not empowered to kill the Democracy and Demean the name and image of Arunachal Pradesh in front of the whole world.
All the wise and law abiding people of 26 major tribes and 110 Minor tribes representing
the whole state should strongly condemn these bunch of irresponsible individuals
and follow non -
Yours,
Tagam Mibang
Bad Posture and Low back Pain
[ Dr. Amber Anand and Dr. Marpu Kamsi ]
Back pain is a very common complaint. According to various researches, approximately 80% of total population will have low back pain at least once in their lives. Back pain may be painful and uncomfortable, it is not usually serious. Although back pain can affect people of any age, it is significantly more common among adults aged between 35 and 55 years. Experts say that back pain is associated with the way our bones, muscles and ligaments in our backs work together.
Pain in the lower back may be linked to the bony lumbar spine, discs between the vertebrae, ligaments around the spine and discs, spinal cord and nerves, lower back muscles, abdomen and pelvic internal organs, and the skin around the lumbar area. Pain in the upper back may be due to disorders of the aorta, tumors in the chest, and spine inflammation.
But, there are so many different causes and types of back pain. Some are due to obvious injuries or disease of the spine. However, by far the most common cause is poor posture, and the condition is called ‘postural back pain’. The poor posture may result from slouching, or from a forward curvature of the upper spine which is known as hunchback or kyphosis. It leads to round shoulders where the head and shoulders are pushed forward and downwards.
The back pain occurs because poor posture puts unnatural, excessive and prolonged
strain on the muscles, ligaments, discs, and nerves of the spine. The most significant
feature of this pain is that there is no evidence of disease on x-
The faulty natural tendencies which make postural problems worse is one of the reasons that spinal, or postural problems become worse with age is because of the natural tendency to correct it, which is good for maintaining balance, but bad for the body.
For example, if the spine is bent forward because of deformity, the head is projected forward, and would result in the person falling over if they didn’t do anything about it. The natural tendency is move the head backwards to put it in a balanced position directly above the spine, but that movement puts an extreme curve in the neck where the middle of the neck is bent forward, and the top and base of the neck are pushed backwards. If the person constantly walks about in that position they will eventually develop pain and arthritis in the neck. Similarly, if the upper spine is bent forward, the person will naturally move their belly forward as a counter balance, but that drags the lower spine forward and can ultimately result in lower back pain.
Risk Factors for Back Pain
A risk factor is something which increases the likelihood of developing a condition or disease. For example, obesity significantly raises the risk of developing diabetes type 2. Therefore, obesity is a risk factor for diabetes type 2.
The following factors are linked to a higher risk of developing low back pain: Office
worker suffering with back pain, mentally stressful job, Pregnancy -
Signs and Symptoms of Back Pain
A symptom is something the patient feels and reports, while a sign is something other people, such as the doctor detect. For example, pain may be a symptom while a rash may be a sign.
The main symptom of back pain is, as the name suggests, an ache or pain anywhere on the back, and sometimes all the way down to the buttocks and legs. In most cases signs and symptoms clear up on their own within a short period.
If any of the following signs or symptoms accompanies a back pain you should see your doctor:
Weight loss, Elevated body temperature (fever), Inflammation (swelling) on the back,
Persistent back pain -
Causes of Back Pain
The human back is composed of a complex structure of muscles, ligaments, tendons,
disks and bones -
· Strain: The most common causes of back pain are: Strained muscles, Strained ligaments, Lifting something improperly, Lifting something that is too heavy, result of an abrupt and awkward movement, muscle spasm.
· Structural problems: The following structural problems may also result in back pain:
1. Ruptured disks: Each vertebra in our spine is cushioned by disks. If the disk ruptures there will be more pressure on a nerve, resulting in back pain.
2. Bulging disks: In much the same way as ruptured disks, a bulging disk can result in more pressure on a nerve.
3. Sciatica: A sharp and shooting pain that travels through the buttock and down the back of the leg, caused by a bulging or herniated disk pressing on a nerve.
4. Arthritis: Patients with osteoarthritis commonly experience problems with the
joints in the hips, lower back, knees and hands. In some cases spinal stenosis can
develop -
5. Abnormal curvature of the spine: If the spine curves in an unusual way the patient is more likely to experience back pain. An example is scoliosis, when the spine curves to the side.
6. Osteoporosis: Bones, including the vertebrae of the spine, become brittle and porous, making compression fractures more likely.
Below are some other causes of back pain:
· Cauda equina syndrome: The cauda equine is a bundle of spinal nerve roots that arise from the lower end of the spinal cord. People with cauda equine syndrome feel a dull pain in the lower back and upper buttocks, as well as analgesia (lack of feeling) in the buttocks, genitalia and thigh. There are sometimes bowel and bladder function disturbances.
· Cancer of the spine: A tumor located on the spine may press against a nerve, resulting in back pain.
· Infection of the spine: If the patient has an elevated body temperature (fever) as well as a tender warm area on the back, it could be caused by an infection of the spine.
· Other infections: Pelvic inflammatory disease (females), bladder or kidney infections.
· Sleep disorders: Individuals with sleep disorders are more likely to experience back pain, compared to others.
· Shingles: An infection that can affect the nerves.
· Bad mattress: If a mattress does not support specific parts of the body and keep the spine straight, there is a greater risk of developing back pain.
· Everyday activities or poor posture.
Back pain can also be the result of some everyday activity or poor posture. Examples include: While using a computer: Adopting a very hunched sitting position when using computers can result in increased back and shoulder problems over time.
Bending awkwardly, pushing something, pulling something, carrying something, lifting
something, standing for long periods, bending down for long periods, twisting, muscle
tension, over-
Diagnosing Back Pain
Most orthopedicians and the physiotherapists will be able to diagnose back pain after carrying out a physical examination, and interviewing the patient. In the majority of cases imaging scans are not required. If the orthopedicians or the physiotherapists suspect some injury to the back, tests may be ordered. Also, if they suspects the back pain might be due to an underlying cause, or if the pain persists for too long, further tests may be recommended.
Suspected disc, nerve, tendon, and other problems -
X-
MRI or CT scans: These are good for revealing herniated disks or problems with tissue, tendons, nerves, ligaments, blood vessels, muscles and bones.
Bone scan: A bone scan may be used for detecting bone tumors or compression fractures caused by brittle bones (osteoporosis). The patient receives an injection of a tracer (a radioactive substance) into a vein. The tracer collects in the bones and helps the doctor detect bone problems with the aid of a special camera.
Electromyography or EMG: The electrical impulses produced by nerves in response to muscles is measured. This study can confirm nerve compression which may occur with a herniated disk or spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal).
The doctor may also order a blood test if infection is suspected.
Treatments for Back Pain:
In the vast majority of cases back pain resolves itself without medical help -
Usually back pain is categorized into two types:
Acute-
Chronic-
A considerable percentage of patients with back pain experience both occasional bouts
of more intense pain as well as more-
If home treatments do not give the desired results, the orthopedic may recommend the following:
Medication: Back pain that does not respond well to OTC painkillers may require a
prescription NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-
Some tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, have been shown to alleviate the symptoms of back pain, regardless of whether or not the patient has depression.
Cortisone injections: If the above-
Surgery: Surgery for back pain is very rare. If a patient has a herniated disk surgery may be an option, especially if there is persistent pain and nerve compression which can lead to muscle weakness. Examples of surgical procedures include:
Fusion: Two vertebrae are joined together, with a bone graft inserted between them. The vertebrae are splinted together with metal plates, screws or cages. There is a significantly greater risk for arthritis to subsequently develop in the adjoining vertebrae.
Artificial disk: An artificial disk is inserted; it replaces the cushion between two vertebrae.
Discectomy (partially removing a disk): A portion of a disk may be removed if it is irritating or pressing against a nerve.
Laminectomy (partially removing a vertebra): A small section of a vertebra may be removed if it is pinching the spinal cord or nerves.
Complementary Therapies
A large number of patients opt for complementary therapies, as well as conventional treatments; some opt just for complementary therapies. It may include: Physiotherapy, Osteopathy and Chiropractor.
Physiotherapy:
Physiotherapists attempt to manage patients with acute low back pain by utilizing
a wide variety of interventions, including exercise and manual therapy. One of the
exercise approaches that may counter the potentially long-
Muscle Energy Technique: MET is an active technique in that the patient, instead of the care provider, supplies the corrective force. Greenman defined MET as a ‘‘manual medicine treatment procedure that involves the voluntary contraction of patient muscle in a precisely controlled direction, at varying levels of intensity, against a distinctly executed counterforce applied by the operator.’’ It has been hypothesized that MET can be used to lengthen and strengthen muscles, to increase fluid mechanics and decrease local edema, and to mobilize a restricted articulation.
Spinal Manipulation Therapy is a broad term that can include various techniques practiced by chiropractors, osteopathy and the physiotherapists. What unites each of these techniques is the use physical force to help promote alignment and ease back pain. Many people with lower back pain experience muscle spasms that lead to impaired blood flow. Manual techniques help to offset this process by improving circulation and increasing oxygen levels in the muscles. Generally, a series of spinal manipulation therapy treatments is necessary to achieve a sustained improvement in back pain symptoms. Chronic or ongoing pain usually requires more treatments than back pain that started suddenly and recently.
TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation): A popular therapy for patients
with chronic (long-
Dry Needling: Dry Needling is a unique treatment option for treating chronic low
back pain. Dry Needling is a procedure in which needles commonly used in accupuncture-
Exercise: Most of the people suffer from backache because of bad posture and the
weakness of back muscles. So we recommend core strengthening exercises in such cases.
Low-
Osteopathy & Chiropractic: : An osteopath specializes in treating the skeleton and
muscles. A chiropractor treats joint, muscle and bone problems -
Preventing Back Pain
Steps to lower the risk of developing back pain consist mainly of addressing some of the risk factors.
Exercise: Regular exercise helps build strength as well as keeping your body weight
down. Experts say that low-
Core-
Flexibility: Exercises aimed at improving flexibility in your hips and upper legs may help too.
Smoking: Significantly higher percentage of smokers has back pain incidences compared
to non-
Body weight: The fatter you are the greater your risk of developing back pain. The
difference in back pain risk between obese and normal-
Posture when standing: Make sure you have a neutral pelvic position. Stand upright,
head facing forward, back straight, and balance your weight evenly on both feet -
Example of good back posture
When using a computer:
If you regularly use a computer, it is important to ensure you have a chair with good back support and adopt a good posture and head position.
Posture when sitting -
Lifting things: The secret for protecting your back when lifting things is to think “legs not back”. In other words, use your legs to do the lifting, more than your back. Keep your back as straight as you can, keep your feet apart with one leg slightly forward so you can maintain balance, bend only at the knees, hold the weight close to your body, and straighten the legs while changing the position of your back as little as possible. Bending your back initially is unavoidable, when you bend your back try not to stoop or squat, tighten your stomach muscles so that your pelvis is pulled in. Most important, do not straighten your legs before lifting; otherwise you will be using your back for most of the work.
Do not lift and twist at the same time. If something is particularly heavy, see if you can lift it with someone else. While you are lifting keep looking straight ahead, not up nor down, so that the back of your neck is like a continuous straight line from your spine.
Moving things: Remember that it is better for your back to push things across the floor, rather than pulling them.
Shoes: Flat shoes place less of a strain on the back.
Driving: It is important to have proper support for your back. Make sure the wing
mirrors are properly positioned so you do not need to twist. The pedals should be
squarely in front of your feet. If you are on a long journey, have plenty of breaks
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Your bed: You should have a mattress that keeps you spine straight, while at the same time supporting the weight of your shoulders and buttocks. Use a pillow, but not one that forces your neck into a steep angle. (The contributors are Physiotherapist at Healing Hands Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation center, Itanagar)
(The contributors are Physiotherapist at Healing Hands Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation center, Itanagar)
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