Sixty per cent of urban women suffer from chronic backache- the earliest sign of calcium deficiency. The back is second only to the head as the most common location of pain. In developing countries where women constitute a major portion of the work force, data shows a higher prevalence of back disorders.
In India, women of the age group of 35 and above are more vulnerable to chronic backache disorders as they have to manage and cope with a lot of physical and emotional stress. This is evident from the many roles she often performs as a wife, mother, health care provider and wage-earner; apart from this, there are also several socioeconomic and cultural factors which influence the daily life of a woman. A cumulative effect of this over-burdening is backache and related problems. According to a recent health report, about 60 per cent of urban women and 70 per cent of rural women suffer from health problems such as backache and body ache besides business-related stress.
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Diagnosed to be a major factor in causing backache- calcium deficiency plays a vital role in initiating backache problems. Here’s how backache can be linked to calcium deficiency at various stages in a woman’s life--
According to the Indian Journal of Community Medicine, calcium is deposited in bones during growing years. However insufficient calcium intake at various stages in a woman’s life can adversely affect bone health in women. When the body does not receive adequate calcium, it tries to replenish calcium by absorbing calcium from the bones. The initial symptom of bone erosion is chronic backache. This constant erosion of calcium from the bone, if left unchecked, makes the bones brittle over period of time, leading to osteoporosis.
Reproductive cycles of pregnancy and lactation are periods of considerable calcium stress for women. If adequate calcium is not supplemented, she loses calcium from her own bones to support the child’s health. At the pregnancy stage, no matter what age a woman is when she becomes pregnant, calcium is very important to both her and the growing baby. Calcium from the mother’s body is used by the developing baby, putting increased demands on the pregnant woman’s supply of calcium in the body. Additional calcium is needed to meet both the pregnant woman’s and the developing baby’s needs at this stage. Calcium absorption increases from 27 per cent before pregnancy to 54 per cent at five or six months to 42 per cent at term.
Calcium deficiency in this phase may result from stressful lifestyles, irregular exercise and eating junk/fast foods. Some foods (especially junk foods) are known to hamper the body’s capacity to absorb calcium. However, the female sex hormone, estrogen protects bones in the face of mild calcium deficiency. Calcium deficiency may manifest in the form of persistent backache, which a woman may tend to ignore.
Thus the woman may continue to remain calcium deficient but may not even realize it. Hence, it is important to be careful and eat calcium-rich foods judiciously.
Menopause plays a major factor in a woman’s life. As menopause sets in (45-50 years), she loses this protective influence of estrogen because her ovaries stop producing this hormone. When this happens, there is a further deterioration of bone health. The bones become brittle leading to osteoporosis. Chronic back ache is the first indicator of deteriorating ill health of bones. It is imperative that women understand this and take remedial measures to prevent and correct this ailment as this would go a long way in maintaining the health of their bones in later years.
* Know the signs and symptoms of chronic backache and take care from day one
* Persistent aching, pain or stiffness that occurs anywhere along your spine, from the base of the neck to the center of the hips.
* Sharp, localised pain in the neck, upper back, or lower back, especially after lifting heavy objects or other strenuous activity.
* Chronic ache in the middle or lower back, especially after sitting or standing for extended period of time.
* Occasional curvature of the spine, due to muscular spasm but usually there are no apparent external symptoms.
* Prevention is better than cure. Guard yourself against backache
* Make sure you get enough Calcium in the diet:
* Getting 1,000 mg to 1,200 mg of calcium per day is one of the best ways to prevent chronic backache later in life. Calcium is called the ‘‘knitter’’ because it promotes healing or knitting everywhere in the body. It is valuable for tone, power, strength, longevity, vitality and endurance, healing of wounds, counteracting acids and it also helps regulate metabolism.
* Calcium also plays a role in helping control blood pressure, reducing the risk of colon cancer and helping weight control.
Calcium is necessary for healthy bones. Here’s some food articles that supplies calcium in the natural state
*4 Cheddar cheese
* Brown bread
* Spaghetti, boiled
* Cows milk
* French beans, boiled
* Brown rice
* Ragi
* Cottage cheese
* Dried figs
* Sesame seeds
* Baked beans
* Spinach, boiled