{"id":101553,"date":"2025-10-17T13:14:03","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T11:14:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/?p=101553"},"modified":"2025-10-17T13:14:03","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T11:14:03","slug":"world-spine-day-experts-urge-south-africans-to-invest-in-your-spine-for-lifelong-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/world-spine-day-experts-urge-south-africans-to-invest-in-your-spine-for-lifelong-health\/","title":{"rendered":"World Spine Day: Experts Urge South Africans to \u2018Invest in Your Spine\u2019 for Lifelong Health"},"content":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za<\/a>
\n3-minute read | 16 October 2025 | 08:30 CAT<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"

\ud83d\udcf8 World Spine Day: Experts urge South Africans to invest in their spinal health.<\/p><\/div>\n

As the world marks World Spine Day<\/em>, health professionals are calling for increased awareness around spinal care and the importance of daily habits that prevent long-term back problems. Durban-based chiropractor Dr. Yomika Venketsamy joined Radio Islam International<\/em><\/a> to discuss the global campaign\u2019s message and why \u201cinvesting in your spine\u201d could mean the difference between chronic pain and a healthy, mobile life.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorld Spine Day was created to raise awareness about spinal disorders like back pain,\u201d said Dr. Venketsamy. \u201cIt\u2019s recognized globally on October 16 every year because back pain is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Yet, it\u2019s also one of the conditions where people benefit most from treatment and rehabilitation.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s theme, Invest in Your Spine<\/em>, encourages proactive choices that protect spinal health before problems begin. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to make choices that protect your spine before pain forces you into action,\u201d she explained. \u201cThat means focusing on posture, movement, and access to care when needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Dr. Venketsamy, poor posture, prolonged sitting, and a sedentary lifestyle are among the most common causes of back pain she sees in her practice. \u201cPeople sit too long at desks or hunch over their screens,\u201d she said. \u201cLack of movement, incorrect lifting, and repetitive strain injuries are major contributors. Even stress can cause neck and shoulder tension that leads to headaches.\u201d<\/p>\n

For those working long hours at desks, she recommends micro-breaks<\/em> every 30 minutes to stand, stretch, and realign the spine. \u201cYour laptop should be at eye level, your chair should support your lower back, and phone users should try to hold devices at eye level to avoid \u2018text neck,\u2019\u201d she advised.<\/p>\n

Dr. Venketsamy also noted that lifestyle factors such as obesity, stress, and smoking play a significant role in spinal health. \u201cStress tightens muscles, excess weight strains the spine and joints, and smoking reduces circulation to spinal tissues, leading to early degeneration,\u201d she warned.<\/p>\n

She emphasized that persistent pain, stiffness, or reduced flexibility are warning signs that professional help is needed. \u201cIf you\u2019re unable to touch your toes or have pain that doesn\u2019t go away, it\u2019s time to get checked. Chiropractic care restores movement, aligns the spine, and supports overall wellness,\u201d she concluded.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour spine is your body\u2019s foundation, invest in it now, and it will support you for life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Listen<\/strong> to the full interview on The Daily Round-Up<\/em> <\/a>with Moulana Junaid Kharsany and Dr. Yomika Venketsamy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za 3-minute read | 16 October 2025 | 08:30 CAT As the world marks World Spine Day, health professionals are calling for increased awareness around spinal care and the importance of daily habits that prevent long-term back problems. Durban-based chiropractor Dr. Yomika Venketsamy joined Radio Islam International to discuss the global campaign\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":101554,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[28,4997],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-101553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","category-world"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/world-spine-day-vector-image-illustration_1288538-7493.avif","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0QIf-qpX","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-23 09:55:20","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101553"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101553\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/101554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}