Back Pain Article

Back Pain and Obesity Often Go Hand in Hand

More and more Americans are becoming dangerously overweight, or obese, every year. Children, adults, elderly, are all losing the battle with their weight, often with fast food, poor eating habits, and lack of exercise being to blame. The more overweight you are, the more health risks you have, such as heart disease, often fatal, elevated blood pressure, certain types of cancers, and all kinds of joint and muscle pains, not to mention the back pain that is caused by the extra weight that your body is now having to support. You could end up with many different kinds of problems, all that could result in chronic back pain, such as: osteoporosis, degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis, spondylolisthesis, and spinal stenosis, just to name a few. That doesn’t even cover all of the disc related problems that could develop as well.

The sole purpose of your spine is to support your body, and separate the weight evenly on all of the other muscles and joints. The more weight that your spine has to carry and support, the harder it is on it, and the more susceptible to damage it becomes, particularly the low back, also known as the lumbar region. If you don’t exercise on a regular basis, which you probably don’t if you are overweight, then the muscles in the back and thighs weaken, often leading to a curved spine, and even more back pain. This is only compounded if you have bad posture as well.

The only sure way to lose weight is to eat a more healthy diet, cut calories, and exercise. It is difficult for someone who is obese to find an exercise that they can physically do, so if you fall into this category, you should see your doctor for recommendations, and follow his orders. You may find that you have trouble getting adequate oxygen during exercise, or that your muscles ache, but you shouldn’t stop exercising at the first sign of pain, or you will stay overweight and in pain from now on. The more you exercise those flaccid muscles, the more they will recover, your back included. The discs in your spine will start to secrete nutrients once again, healing your spine, and easing your back pain.

Make certain that you don’t try those fad diets, or take over the counter diet pills, as these may help you lose weight temporarily, but you are likely just to gain it all back again when you stop taking them. The key is a healthy mixture of diet and exercise, if you want to get rid of your back, muscle, and joint pain for good. The more weight you lose, and the more strength you get back into your muscles and bones, the more exercise you will be able to do. Keep up your new healthy lifestyle, even after you have managed to reach your ideal body weight, so that you don’t start developing those same problems again.