The reason for your aches and pains may not be obvious. Here are some common triggers you may be unaware of. STACEY CHIA reports

Driving
Some people have their seats reclined too far back while driving, said Ms Sylvia Ho, the principal physiotherapist at Core Concepts.

Such a posture means your head is held in a forward leaning position, adding stress to the muscles in the front of your neck.
 
In addition, this position forces your arms to be overstretched when they should be relaxed while holding the steering wheel.

Working at your desk
If you spend many hours desk-bound, you may want to adapt or modify your work station to prevent neck and back strains.

“It’s about setting up your environment to suit you, and not the other way round,” said Ms Ho.

The top viewing area of your monitor should be at or slightly below your eye level and kept at arm’s length.

Maintain a relaxed arm position while using your keyboard. In addition, keep your elbows at 90 degrees and your forearms parallel to the floor.

If a lot of typing is required, you are at a higher risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome, a chronic painful condition of the wrist area.

Repetitive actions such as typing and holding a phone compress the median nerve in the ligaments of the
wrist, said Dr Lim Beng Hai, the director of the Centre for Hand and Reconstructive MicroSurgery Singapore.

The symptoms include feeling pins and needles at the fingertips and tightness at the wrist area.

Dr Lim recommends taking regular breaks when typing. Do hand stretching exercises and give your hands and wrists time to rest.

Watching TV
If you like watching TV while lying on your couch, you are subjecting yourself to neck aches.

If your sofa is parallel to the TV set, doing this repetitively loads the joints in your neck unevenly as you
have to turn your neck towards the television.

Ms Ho said that it is better to sit upright with your back against the back rest of the sofa.

This is so that you can maintain an ideal posture while allowing yourmuscles to relax, she said.

Sleeping
Feeling sore constantly?

Your sleep posture may be the cause.

If you sleep on your tummy, it may be time to switch to sleeping on your side or back.

This position is not recommended as your neck will have to be turned to the side (in order for you to breathe) for extended periods, said Ms Karen Koh, a senior principal physiotherapist at Singapore General Hospital.

Resting your head on a pillow when sleeping on your tummy can cause your lower back to be over-arched. If you want to sleep on your tummy, place the pillow under your abdomen instead. This will reduce the arch on your lower back, said Ms Koh.

Wearing flip flops
You may find flip flops comfortable, but wearing them may cause stress and strain.

Ms Marabelle Heng, a podiatrist at Singapore General Hospital, said that when you wear flip flops, your toes need to grip them and this may lead to an overuse of muscles or cause strain to the tendons.

In addition, flip flops have no lateral or side support, putting you at a higher risk of ankle sprains.

“When feet support is poor, it can result in knee and even back pain,” she said. If you want to wear flip flips, choose those with an arch profile which would give you more support. Wear good supportive shoes when walking long distances.

Lifting heavy objects
If you suffer from backache each time you lift a heavy load, it is likely that you are relying too much on your back.

When you lift an object the wrong way, you are subjecting the back ligaments, joints and discs to excessive stretching, which can lead to ligament or muscle sprains, or even disc prolapse, said Ms Ho.

A safe technique to lift a heavy object is to bend your knees when lifting the load.
 
Bending your knees enables you to make use of the muscles in your legs, which are much bigger than those in your back and can take more load before suffering fatigue.

Using mobile devices
Arthritis typically affects people over 40years old, but Dr Lim said basal arthritis, or arthritis at the base of the thumb, is becoming more common in younger people, likely due to technology.

Dr Lim said this thumb joint is particularly prone to wear and tear. Frequent thumb movement from pushing small buttons like those on mobile phones (above) causes the basal joint to wear out faster, resulting in pain and swelling.
 
Different treatment methods, depending on the severity of the situation, are available. In serious cases, surgery may be needed to reconstruct the joint.

Finally, that pain may not be a temporary one. If you experience pain, you should see a doctor to prevent further damage to your joints, said Dr Lim.