Road accidents key cause of spinal, head injuries in UAE

DUBAI — Road accidents are the major cause of spinal and head injuries among the young adults in the UAE followed by obesity and lack of exercise, said spinal surgeons during the 5th Dubai Spine Conference under the title 'Advances in Spinal Surgery.'

Asma Ali Zain

Published: Fri 17 Mar 2006, 10:52 AM

Last updated: Sat 4 Apr 2015, 7:30 PM

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Dr Imad Hashim Ahmad, Consultant Neurosurgeon and Head of Neurosurgery Department at Rashid Hospital said that 2-3 patients were treated every week for spinal injuries. The injuries are caused either by road accidents or by fall from heights, he added.

He also said that Department of Health and Medical Services (Dohms) is seeking continuous education to keep up to date with the advances in spinal surgery for which such conferences are very important.

Prof Dr Michael Mayer from the Spine Centre in Munich, Germany also confirmed that most injuries in the Arab world are because of car accidents. “I treat many such cases from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other countries of the Arab world and most cases involve spinal injuries due to road accidents. I am amazed that facilities to treat such cases in the UAE are very good,” he said.

He also said that spinal injury was among the commonest and it could lead to death or paralysis. “The crucial and important factor is to manage spinal fractures and tumours as well as disc diseases. Another factor that causes backache is the increasing number of obese people in the Arab region,” he explained.

Giving statistics, he said that according to the World Health Organisation, 80 per cent of the world population will or are suffering from backache due to obesity.

Dr Hashmi said that there were demographic differences between the West and the UAE. “In this conference, we are trying to realise expectations of patients because there are new technologies coming up in surgeries. We are also discussing tailor-made managements with fellow surgeons in this conference,” he added. The doctors also pointed out the need for patients to lead a normal life — medically and socially. They also said that though awareness about the disease is increasing, still more needs to be done. “Do not wait too long to identify diseases and go to a doctor,” they advised.