Dr Bryan Cox, the Chief Executive Officer of the Spinal Clinic Limited has advised the public to be more concerned with their spine and take good care of it as they cared for their teeth.

He said it was unfortunate how people brushed their teeth day and night to avoid decay but showed less concern for their spine which could be more detrimental.

“The only thing is that with tooth decay, you can see your teeth but with spinal decay, you can’t see your spine, so when we take a picture of your spine and you see it, you will be surprised, that it is that bad,” he added.

Dr Cox said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, stressing that millions of people across the world had spinal problems and research had shown that about 80 to 90 per cent of people would develop spinal problems before they die.

He said the nervous system which includes the spinal cord, controls and coordinates every working organ of the body, therefore, if it does not work properly, the rest of the body would not work effectively.

“So I urge each and every person to get his or her spine checked often,” he said.

Dr Cox said the first spinal problem could start at childbirth where a doctor or midwife could pull the head of a baby with hand, forceps or vacuum, to prevent any unfortunate happening with the delivery which sometimes affected the spine of the baby.

He said when children begin to crawl, walk, stand, or learn how to walk, they fall and when they grow up, they are always on their phones and computers for long hours a day, which affects the spine.

Not eating well or sleep well and gaining weight could also affect the spine and cause it to go out of alignment, he said.

He advised the public to seek medical concern as soon as they felt something was wrong with their spine to avoid decay.

“Think of your spine when you pick up something from the ground, sit or sleep,” he added.