A fetish for superbikes, which has riders in unscientific postures, has led to 40% spike in number of spine ailments, say specialists
Pune plays home to a teeming number of superbike enthusiasts that have spawned several groups of bikers, who live by their calendars marked with inter-group races, as well as cross-country trails through the year. But, the going is not so good for these speed demons, if one were to go by observations made by prominent spine doctors in the city.
According to experts from the Association of Spine Surgeons of India (ASSI), there has been a 40 per cent rise in problems in the spine among a sizeable group of people hooked to high-end and modified bikes, over the last two years. The problems range from severe backache, muscle sprain and spine degeneration due to gaps between the vertebrae; the most afflicted group is between the ages of 20 and 35. Indeed, some of the most avid bikers in the city confessed to this malaise.
Urvashi Patole, founder of Bikerni, a group of women bikers in the city, confessed to suffering from severe backache due to spending long hours on her Rev Classic 50 CC and she has also observed others like her succumbing to this ailment. "I have been suffering from backache since a few months now and, lately, I have also been diagnosed by vertigo, a neurological disorder," said Patole, blaming it on the bad roads and speed breakers, not entirely discounting the role of the superbike she rides. Mugdha Chaudhari, another member of Bikerni, said, "My suffering has forced me to use a lumbar belt. It is a result of crouching too low. Besides this, women have a fragile anatomy compared to men, which forces us to bend more than them to reach the handle, which directly impacts the back." There are more than 700 members in the Bikerni group across the country, of which 45 belong to Pune. Similarly, Shirin Ayub Khan, a rider from Chinchwad, agreed that biking has had her back pack up. "I have been suffering from backache as a result of driving and have had to resort to regular exercises and physiotherapy to keep the nagging pain at bay," said Khan.
Dr Amol Rege, member of ASSI's Pune chapter and a spine surgeon from Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, put the blame squarely on the modified bikes with big oil scaling the popularity charts with bikers. Said Rege, "Many new and modified bikes are becoming extremely affordable to the youth due to affordable EMIs. Most of them have no practice of riding or the way to properly position themselves on the bikes — they end up stooping too low, which is giving way to an increased number of bikers with backache." Rege has been observing at least 12 such cases every day since the last two years.
Dr Kiran Shete, founder and director, Spinalogy Clinic, seconded Dr Rege's claim, as she said that most of her patients are between the ages of 20 and 30. "Many complain of gaps in vertebrae, which is the result of bad posture. There is no option for them but to quit riding for a few months to get their spine back in place," said Shete.
Dr S M Hardikar, president, ASSI, Pune, emphasised that being in the wrong posture over a protracted period leads to degeneration of the spine and bent or deformed back posture. Some, he said, have been forced to quit biking. "I have noticed many young professionals from the IT sector, who are often on long drives from Kothrud to Hinjewadi, complaining of backache. Style is not all and comfort should be a priority," said Hardikar.
Commander Nandu Chitnis, an ex-navy veteran and an avid biker, has also seen many of his acquaintances riding fancy bikes use lumbar belts due to severe back pain, and they are all in the age group of late 20s to early 30s. "The upright position that driving a scooter mandates is easy on the vertebrae. Leaning on any two-wheeler must be restricted only to a 10-degree angle," said Chitnis.
Shrikant Apte, president of Maharashtra Automotive Sports Association (MASA), agreed that the ailment was the consequence of an addiction to fancy bikes. Said Apte, "Novices using sports bikes end up leaning more towards the handle, not knowing that it can be adjusted. This causes many young riders to suffer from shoulder, neck and lower back pain which if ignored can become a permanent health problem, adversely affecting a biker's career."
