Body weight and back pain

IS YOUR BODY WEIGHT CAUSING YOU BACK PAIN?

By Dr. Barry Kluner

Chiropractor

The Spinal Joint…your chiropractic place!

A common condition associated with Obesity is low back pain. While your spine is designed to withstand a significant amount of impact and stress from your regular everyday activities, carrying a heavier load from being overweight places significantly greater impact and stress onto your low back leading to potentially serious problems with your spine!

What is the spine?

Your spine is made up of 24 independent vertebrae, each uniquely positioned and aligned hold you upright. More importantly, your spine protects your spinal cord, a vital component of your central nervous system designed to distribute the important neural messages from your brain to your body so you can function in a healthy manner. Protecting each spinal bone is a shock-absorbing disc made up of a strong gel-type material on the inside (Nucleus Pulposus) surrounded by multiple cross layers of cartilage (Annular Fibers). Discs lay in-between spinal vertebrae and help not only to offer shock absorbency, but to also prevent each spinal bone from touching one another and provide ample room for your nerves to exit from your spinal cord untouched. When properly aligned and well balanced, your spine functions in an optimal way, as does your body.

Being overweight places changes things. Your risks of heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes significantly increase, however, it is far more likely to feel the effects of low back pain much earlier than your body will develop such disease processes because obesity means a constant increase in pressure to your spine and its components. If left unattended, your spine will face increased damage that is often irreversible.

What is a Slipped Disc?

Nearly everyone has heard of the term ‘slipped disc’ used to describe a low back pain. While the term is commonly used, it is actually a misnomer, as spinal discs don’t actually slip, rather they protrude (bulge) or herniate (displace) outward from between the spinal bones causing pressure against the nearby spinal cord or nerve roots.

There are many factors that contribute to tears in the outer fibers of the disc (herniations), which lead to low back problems. For example, bad posture, lack of exercise, or injury, but the main difference with obesity is that it is a constant. That means that when your body weight is excessive, the pressure upon your discs and the rest of your low back is consistently there. There is no escape until you lose weight. Symptoms can range from localized low back pain to more severe reactions such as pain, numbness, and tingling in the legs. 

What can you do?

Make the decision to want to be healthy again. If you suffer from back pain, visit The Spinal Joint for a specialized consultation to determine the exact source of your back problem. At the same time, you can expect ahead of time that discussing your weight will be a part of the process. Treating low back problems, disc related or otherwise is generally manageable, providing you look at the complete picture. If being overweight is the cause of your back pain, then take a step in the right direction and be sure to manage your weight, so you can effectively support your low back for years to come.