Summary:
Prolonged sitting affects the muscles, ligaments, discs and joints of the spine. Exercise: Regular exercises to strengthen the spinal muscles, abdominal muscles and core muscle is extremely important. Sleep: The spinal muscles are continuously at work. The function of the discs in the spine depends on its ability to retain enough water in its matrix. (The writer is a senior consultant spine surgeon, Institute of Advanced Spine Sciences, Gleneagles Global Health City ).