Slip disc! Spondilitis! Pain in the knees! A novel, economical & efficient remedy by Dr. Chiplunkar

A friend of mine who works as a fashion designer in Pune, was suffering from severe pain in the small of the back. Unable to understand the cause of the pain despite going through a number of tests; she was totally distraught. That time she met a doctor who she now considers to be an angel in human form. He discontinued all her medicines and gave her simple tips on how to walk, what should be her posture while sitting and like magic all the pain was gone! She has continued with the simple exercises adviced by him and puts a pillow on the chair before sitting on it; and the pain has not recurred ever.

Dr. Chiplunkar’s slogan is ‘caution before medication’ or ‘prevention is better than cure’. With the advances in science and the modern life style our body movements are much reduced nowadays. If the posture and walk is improper, then there are chances that a vertebra or knee may be affected. This leads to multiple problems such as slip disc, improper distance between the discs in the vertebral column, pain in the knees, bent knees, drop foot and what not. As a remedy, normally an operation is recommended which is not without risk and involves considerable costs. Dr. Chiplunkar recommends only proper posture and simple exercises and has cured a number of patients.

Slip disc is curable by exercise

Those who suffer from slip disc go through excruciating pain. The disc which has slipped out of its position between the two vertebrae is removed surgically. After some period of time, the two vertebrae develop friction between them and more pain follows. Only Shah Rukh Khan does not have this pain simply because his slipped disc was replaced by a titanium disc. A very expensive disc indeed which not many can afford! Dr. Chiplunkar, however, has his own way of treating this problem. If there is a risk of paralysis or if the pain is simply unbearable, then and only then he advises surgery. Otherwise, he gives a medicine which relaxes the muscles and then he prescribes some exercises which restore the disc to its original position. This takes about two to three months. After that the patient has to continue with the exercises every day for ten minutes, for the rest of his life. Quite a reasonable price for lifelong health!

Dr. Chiplunkar said, “We have wrong postures while standing, sitting and walking; which leads to bending of the vertebral column and then all the trouble starts. So by maintaining the right posture, keep the vertebrae intact and enjoy good health. I have given lectures on this topic to several people working in IT and other industries. With the correct posture, all the problems related with knees and back are prevented.

Q: All sorts of exercises are advised in the Gym. Trade mill, Yoga, weights, kick boxing etc.

Dr. Chiplunkar: It is wrong to give the same advice for all. We should do only that exercise which matches our need.

Q: Then who will tell what is right?

Dr. Chiplunkar: There is no need for anyone to tell anything. Our body gives signals. We understand them but we should also follow them. If there is severe pain in the body after a particular exercise, then it is a signal to discontinue that exercise. If the body is aching or getting fatigued, then avoid the exercise. If a thorn is lodged in the foot and we walk a long distance without removing it, then it goes deeper, pus formation may take place. So it is better to remove the thorn immediately. Similarly, if a certain exercise gives body pain, discontinue it immediately and take rest.

Q: Those with knee pains are advised to reduce weight and walk as an exercise.

Dr. Chiplunkar: This is not correct. No exercise should be recommended while the body is in pain. Actually, the body stores more water when it is in pain, and so there is more weight. One important principle of medicine is ‘pain is a signal of some internal fault.’ Keeping this in mind, do not exercise if there is pain in the body and do not do such exercises which cause pain in the body.

Do not use a belt all the time

Q: We see many people with a belt around their neck or waist.

Dr. Chiplunkar: If the pain is severe and one has to travel over a bumpy road, then using a belt is all right. Our muscles hold the body together. The belt is substituting for the muscles. If the body gets used to a belt, the muscles lose the memory of their job, and then the belt can become permanent. Hence, use the belt only when necessary.

Bent Knees

Q: Many ladies and gentlemen have bent knees.

Dr. Chiplunkar: For bent knee, the lower part of the bone is surgically removed; which also removes the bend. However, I desist from cutting of the bone. I support the knees and with some exercises the bend is gone.

Broken ligaments

Q: A problem heard often is that of broken ligaments in the knee.

Dr. Chiplunkar: I do not recommend an operation even in this case. I give a belt to be worn over the knee. Taking rest and doing the exercises in the way I prescribe for only five minutes in a day will transfer the pressure from one ligament on to another and the knee will be all right.

Dr. Chiplunkar has given special consultancy in many Companies in Pune on this subject. How to sit, which is the right posture to sleep, which hand to use while picking a cup of coffee, where should the computer be placed, whether to use a thin or thick pen, how to support the wrist while using a mouse; these and many more seemingly trivial aspects of our daily movements are touched upon in his guidance to a large number of professionals with hectic work schedules. These small tips help in saving your knees and backs.

The treatment by Dr. Chiplunkar is quite novel for many of us. But instead of spending lakhs of rupees on surgery, is it not worth a shot to try him out spending a few thousand rupees? Of course, the decision is entirely yours!

Pillow

The height of the pillow should be the width of your palm. Your shoulders should be resting on the edge of the pillow so that the neck does not hang unsupported.

Mattress

Use a cotton mattress as far as possible. A wooden bed and a single mattress on it is the best. Do not use a mattress with lumps of cotton in it. That will give you back problems.

Sofa

Sitting on plush and soft sofas can bend your vertebrae.

While talking on a mobile phone

Holding the mobile phone between the shoulder and the neck while driving, can damage a vertebra, if continued for long.

On the bike

The pillion driver should sit with a straight back.

The main driver should keep distance between the legs, thrust his belly forward and put little weight on the handlebars of the bike.

While sitting on a chair

Do not lean on one arm of the chair.

The knees should always be below the waist level.

To look at a computer, or to pick up a telephone, do not twist the body but turn the chair around and face the computer or the telephone.

It is not a good habit to keep the legs crossed while sitting. If you have that habit, keep changing the legs.

How do you pick up a child?

If you pick a child always on the left side, the child forms the habit of always looking to the right. This can damage the child’s vertebrae. So alternate sides when picking a child.

Keep two pairs of spectacles and use them

While working on a computer, some people using bifocal spectacles have a habit of lifting their head neck-upwards over long periods of time. It is better to use separate spectacles for long and near sight.

In the kitchen

While standing in front of the standing kitchen, keep distance between the feet, toes pointing outward and stomach touching the kitchen stand. Do not stand with one leg on the other leg, which many ladies do.

Check whether you stand erect or not

Many of us have a habit of putting more weight on one leg while standing. If you do not keep equal weight on both legs, one shoulder is drooping. Not having both the shoulders in one straight line can cause damage to the vertebrae. Stand in front of a mirror so that you can see both your shoulders and neck clearly. Keep equal weight on both legs and stand in a normal relaxed stance. Watch if both the shoulders are in a straight line. One can easily see this defect in a photograph. If you observe that the shoulders are not in a straight line, then try to walk with equal weight on both legs.