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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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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