4 min read
Back pain, especially lower back pain, can be caused by a lot of things, from overexerting ourselves to sitting too long and even from carrying too much weight. The extra pounds can lead to disc problems, nerve irritation and extra pressure and pain in the spine.
About one-third of all obese Americans experience back pain, and recent studies have found that obese people have an increased risk of degenerative disc disease.
Obesity's Link to Back Pain
When you gain weight, particularly in the midsection, the pelvis shifts forward to adjust for the change. As this happens, the muscles and ligaments in the back strain under this change, leading to an unnatural curve in the spine that can be permanent. This puts additional pressure on the lower back. This can lead to a different position when you’re standing, sitting and even lying down. Chiropractic care can help with realigning the spine and relieve some of the side effects. Here are some of the most common types of back pain experienced when someone is overweight.
Sciatica
When your spine takes on additional weight, the discs within your spine begin to compress and that puts pressure on the discs in your lower back. The pressure can push against the sciatic nerve. Sciatic nerve pain is known for starting in the lower back and shooting down either one or both of your legs. Sciatica can also be caused by a bulging or ruptured disc in your spine, a risk that increases in obese individuals.
Disc Damage
Between each vertebra in your spine are fluid-filled discs with rubbery coatings which prevent your vertebrae from grinding against each other. When too much pressure is placed on the spine from extra body weight, the fluid in these discs can be compressed and even start to bulge out of place or rupture and leak fluid outside of the disc. This causes intense lower back pain. While it can heal with rest and chiropractic care, the likelihood of that disc or another one rupturing are higher with added bodyweight.
Piriformis Syndrome
Piriformis syndrome occurs when the piriformis muscle, located deep under your buttocks muscles and attached to your hamstring muscles, spasms or becomes irritated. This results in a lot of pain; in fact some people think their piriformis pain is sciatica. Chiropractic care using cold laser therapy, massage and other techniques can help, but relieving the pressure by losing weight will also be helpful.
Ways to Reduce Back Pain and Body Weight
Fortunately, relieving your back pain doesn’t have to involve surgery. You might be amazed at how much better you feel when losing even a few pounds to release some of the pressure on the spine. For every pound of weight you lose, you relieve four pounds of pressure from your spine, which feels like a lot!
Focus on Weight Loss for Back Pain Relief
An unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle result in inflammatory proteins (often aggravating current back pain) and weaker muscles surrounding your back (resulting in a greater risk for back pain).
Losing weight is a process and it takes more than one thing to get the results you’d like. Including good nutrition, enough sleep and daily activity into your routine will help you enjoy your daily life by giving you a mood boost. And feeling better makes you want to stay on top of what you need to do to reduce weight and maintain it.
Through regular exercise and a healthy diet, you can grow stronger and support your spine’s health, reducing back pain even further.
Core Exercises to Strengthen Your Back (and Your Front)
Your back is part of your core. Your abdominal muscles support the back. By strengthening your mid-section, including your back and your abs, you’ll be able to support your spine better. It’ll also help with losing weight. If you have had disc damage, talk to your chiropractor or your primary care physician about exercises that are acceptable to help you gain strength without causing more disc damage.
A recent article from the American Journal of Epidemiology found that one hour of exercise each week lowered the risk of back pain by 20% in obese and overweight men.
Healthy Eating
Processed foods may be easier and more affordable, but many of these items contain a lot of fat and sugar that break down to inflammatory proteins. This worsens any current back pain you may have and doesn’t help with losing weight.
Try to bring in more fruits and veggies. Find the ones you really enjoy and then branch out to others you might like to try. It’s a good idea to eat a lot of different colors including those with a red or blue tint—such as cherries, peaches, strawberries, and blueberries. They’re filled with antioxidants that fight inflammation and various diseases, such as heart disease. It takes a little bit more planning, but the results will help you feel a lot better!
Village Chiropractic for Back Pain Assessment and Treatment
If you’re experiencing back pain, whether you’re struggling with your weight or not, we can help with several different chiropractic treatments known for back pain relief. We’ll talk about how you’re feeling, what may be causing the pain and then create a treatment plan just for you.
At Village Chiropractic in The Woodlands, we’re dedicated to relieving your pain and helping you live a full life again.
with our back pain experts to see what we can do to help you start feeling better.
