Health
'I’m a spinal surgeon – here’s how your posture is killing your back'
In a world of sitting at desks and slumping in front of screens, back pain is known to be the most common ailment among Americans.
Dr. Arthur L. Jenkins III, a board-certified neurosurgeon in New York — who is also fellowship-trained in spinal surgery and CEO of Jenkins NeuroSpine — blamed slouching and poor posture for grave effects on the back.
Poor posture stretches the spine in a way it’s “really not designed to do,” Jenkins said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
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“We stand much better than we sit,” he said. “And we find more people having that pain when they’re working or when they’ve been sitting for a while – it’s just a terrible position for our spines.”
Poor posture stretches the spine in a way it’s “really not designed to do,” a neurosurgeon said in an interview with Fox News Digital. (iStock)
Risks of ‘tech neck’
“Tech neck,” or excessive forward posture, is caused by looking down at devices, including phones and laptops, the expert noted.
Being in this “suboptimal” position while sitting down for long periods of time can be damaging.
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“At night, a lot of people will [watch] TV … and their chin is tucked down,” Jenkins said. “Most people don’t put TVs on their ceilings.”
This position can lead to a condition called kyphosis, where the front of the spine is strained and extra pressure lands on the disks.
“Tech neck,” or excessive forward posture, is caused by looking down at devices, including phones and laptops. (iStock)
This posture also stretches and pulls on the muscles in the lower back as they are forced to “stretch out and give,” said Jenkins.
“All the muscles are designed to be at their strongest when your spine is in its optimum position,” he said. “Once you get out of the optimum position, your muscles have to work harder to maintain that.”
Tips for avoiding back pain
For those who work in front of screens all day, Jenkins recommends standing up often and stretching out the body to keep the joints “lubricated and active.”
It can help to use a standing desk, raise the computer monitor higher to promote an elevated chin and neck angle, or sit on an exercise ball instead of a desk chair, he advised.
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Even while sitting on the couch, Jenkins said it’s best to sit up, avoid slouching and change positions every so often.
It can help to use a standing desk, raise the computer monitor higher to promote an elevated chin and neck angle, or sit on an exercise ball instead of a desk chair, the expert advised. (iStock)
Isolating and flexing the back and ab muscles can also help to promote healthy muscles and ward off back pain.
“Find ways to be more mindful during the day of engaging your core,” Jenkins advised. “While you’re sitting there, squeeze your abdominal and back muscles together.”
ASK A DOCTOR: ‘HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY POSTURE?’
“Even if you don’t do a formal sit-up, if you just spend five minutes mindfully squeezing your core while you’re working, that’s better than not doing anything at all.”
Maintaining flexibility, especially with age, can also help prevent back pain.
Jenkins recommends committing to a fitness routine that “speaks to your issues” while strengthening the core and stretching the muscles, like yoga or Pilates.
The doctor recommends committing to a fitness routine that “speaks to your issues” while strengthening the core and stretching the muscles, like yoga or Pilates. (iStock)
Jenkins also warned people to avoid “BLT” — or bending, lifting and twisting all at once, which is a major contributor to back pain.
“You should always try to break up your bending, lifting and twisting into individual components … You should never bend, lift and twist at the same time,” he instructed.
“When you lift, engage your core actively. Think about squeezing your core while you’re lifting anything.”
man having his spine examined at doctor’s office (iStock)
A new study out of Italy, published in the journal Healthcare, found that a kinesiology-based method can be effective in treating lower back pain.
Noting that lower back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide, the researchers introduced the Canali Postural Method (CPM) to a group of individuals for three months.
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CPM, which is a personal kinesiological therapy to reprogram posture, showed promise in improving motor control and quality of life, and suggested “potential benefits for other musculoskeletal issues,” the study found.
Although the international study only included 35 participants, Jenkins said the results speak to the effectiveness of a “very structured, posture-based exercise regimen.”
adult woman with back pain at work (iStock)
“It’s pretty straightforward that more support is better,” he said.
“Kinesiology, chiropractic or just general physical therapy, or Pilates, or yoga – any of these interventions are likely to provide more support for the person’s back, and better pain relief than them trying to figure it out for themselves.”
When to see a doctor
Jenkins recommends seeing a professional if back pain persists and prevents engagement in normal activities.
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It is also best to seek medical attention if the pain does not subside after trying exercise, therapy or anti-inflammatory medications.
Any emergent signs that surface – such as severe pain, worsened balance, or impaired bladder or bowel function – should be addressed immediately by a doctor, according to Jenkins.
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As colorectal cancer (CRC) is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50, a new report reveals some surprising shifts in the incidence of the disease.
Although rates of CRC have been declining among seniors, those 65 and under are facing a rise in diagnoses, according to a report titled Colorectal Cancer Statistics, 2026, from the American Cancer Society.
Adults 65 and younger comprise nearly half (45%) of all new colorectal cancer cases — a significant increase from 27% in 1995, states the report, which was published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
The disease is rising fastest among adults 20 to 49 years old, at a rate of 3% per year.
Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50. (iStock)
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. Although that age group is eligible to receive routine screenings, just 37% do so.
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The report also revealed that rectal cancer is on the rise, now accounting for about one-third (32%) of all CRC cases — an increase from 27% in the mid-2000s.
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“After decades of progress, the risk of dying from colorectal cancer is climbing in younger generations of men and women, confirming a real uptick in disease because of something we’re doing or some other exposure,” said Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director, surveillance research at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the report, in a press release.
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. (iStock)
“We need to redouble research efforts to understand the cause, but also circumvent deaths through earlier detection by educating clinicians and the general public about symptoms and increasing screening in people 45-54 years.”
It is projected that 158,850 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed this year, and that the disease will cause 55,230 deaths, per the report.
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More than half of CRC cases can be linked to high-risk behaviors, the researchers said. Those include lack of nutrition, high alcohol consumption, smoking, lack of exercise and obesity.
“These findings further underscore that colorectal cancer is worsening among younger generations and highlight the immediate need for eligible adults to begin screening at the recommended age of 45,” said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society.
When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%. (iStock)
“The report also shines a light on the crucial importance of continued funding for research to help discover new therapies to treat the disease and advance patient care.”
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When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%, the report stated.
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A new study suggests that middle-aged men may be more vulnerable to faster biological aging, potentially linked to exposure to “forever chemicals.”
The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Aging, examined how perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS, could impact aging at the cellular level.
PFAS are synthetic chemicals commonly used in nonstick cookware, food packaging, water-resistant fabrics and other consumer products, the study noted.
Their chemical structure makes them highly resistant to breaking down, allowing them to accumulate in water, soil and the human body.
Chinese researchers analyzed blood samples from 326 adults enrolled in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2000.
A new study suggests that middle-aged men could face accelerated biological aging at the cellular level due to exposure to PFAS. (iStock)
The researchers measured levels of 11 PFAS compounds in participants’ blood and used DNA-based “epigenetic clocks” — tools that analyze chemical changes to DNA to estimate biological age — to determine how quickly their bodies were aging at the cellular level, the study stated.
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Two compounds, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), were detected in 95% of participants.
Higher concentrations of those chemicals were associated with faster biological aging in men of certain age groups, but not in women.
“People should not panic.”
The compounds most strongly linked to accelerated aging were not the PFAS chemicals that typically receive the most public attention, the researchers noted.
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“The associations were strongest in adults aged 50 to 64, particularly in men,” Dr. Xiangwei Li, professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and the study’s corresponding author, told Fox News Digital.
“While this does not establish that PFAS cause aging, it suggests that these widely present ‘forever chemicals’ may be linked to molecular changes related to long-term health and aging.”
The study found that two of the compounds were detected in 95% of participants, and higher levels were linked to faster biological aging in men ages 50–64. (iStock)
Midlife may represent a more sensitive biological period, when the body becomes more vulnerable to age-related stressors, according to the researchers.
Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, may influence biological aging markers, potentially increasing vulnerability to environmental pollutants.
While Li said “people should not panic,” she does recommend looking for reasonable ways to reduce exposure.
That might mean checking local drinking water reports, using certified water filters designed to reduce PFAS, and limiting the use of stain- or grease-resistant products when alternatives are available.
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Meaningful reductions in PFAS exposure will likely depend on broader regulatory action and environmental cleanup efforts, Li added.
The researchers noted that midlife could be a particularly sensitive stage, when the body is more susceptible to stressors associated with aging. (iStock)
Study limitations
The researchers outlined several important limitations of the research, including that the findings show an association, but do not prove that PFAS directly causes accelerated aging.
“The study is cross-sectional, meaning exposure and aging markers were measured at the same time, so we cannot determine causality,” Li told Fox News Digital.
The study was also relatively small, limited to 326 adults age 50 or older, which means the findings may not apply to younger people or broader populations.
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Researchers measured PFAS levels using data collected between 1999 and 2000, and today’s exposure patterns may differ.
Li added that while PFAS is known to persist in the environment and the body, these results should be validated through larger, more recent studies that follow participants over time.
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