Can Obesity And Back Pain Cause Disability
Obesity is defined as a complex chronic disease which is characterized by excessive accumulation of body fat. Obesity by itself is not considered a disability by the social security administration but if it is coupled with other medical conditions like back pain then the persons weight can play a significant role in being considered for disability benefits. Obesity is a risk factor that increases the individuals chance of developing impairments in most body systems. It commonly leads to, and often complicates, chronic diseases of the cardiovascular, respiratory and musculoskeletal body systems.
If a person is extremely obese and suffers from back pain then there is a high possibility that the person also has problems with ambulating, bending, prolonged standing, needing an assistive device to walk or require assistance from sit to stand etc affecting his activities of daily living and his ability to work full time even in a sedentary jobs.
If you are Obese and having back pain related problems which is making it difficult to work, then you need to call an experienced social security disability attorney to seek their opinion on whether to apply for disability benefits or not. Having a disability attorney representing your case for obesity and back pain is recommended to qualify for disability benefits.
Could I Experience Back Pain After Extreme Weight Loss Especially In Post Surgery Situations
Although weight loss will most often help health problems you are experiencing, there are some cases where extreme amounts of weight loss may create back pain. It is not uncommon for people who have surgery to remove excess weight to run into back issues post op.
With bariatric surgery, people will complain about back pain in post-surgery recovery. Commonly with gastric bypass surgery, the location of the back pain varies but generally is in the mid to lower back. This type of pain from excessive weight loss may be attributed to reduced body fat because it lowers cushioning, potentially creating discomfort or affecting your spinal alignment. When considering if you should get gastric bypass surgery its important to be aware of the side effects that come along with the procedure. The main symptoms of gastric bypass surgery include dumping syndrome, dehydration, gallstones, hair loss, indigestion, and back pain.
In most situations, people who undergo a bariatric weight loss surgery will have had more severe back pain prior to surgery rather than post surgery.
Try Adding More Strength Training To Your Workouts
A daily run or spin class is great for your heart, but cardio workouts alone wont do much for your waist. You need to do a combination of weights and cardiovascular training, Sangeeta Kashyap, MD, an endocrinologist at Cleveland Clinic, tells Health. Strength training increases muscle mass, which sets your body up to burn more fat.
Muscle burns more calories than fat, and therefore you naturally burn more calories throughout the day by having more muscle, Kate Patton, RD, a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic, tells Health. Patton recommends 250 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 125 minutes of high-intensity exercise a week.
Dr. Cheskin also agrees strength training is the way to go, as it builds muscle. When you build muscle, you tend to replace fat with that muscle, he says.
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Diagnosing Cancer And Back Pain
A doctor will consider your symptoms and medical history when diagnosing potential lower back pain causes. Its important to include if you have a history of cancer or a family history of cancer.
Because cancer is a rare cause of lower back pain in those who dont already have cancer, a doctor may recommend other treatments before doing a full cancer work-up.
However, if pain persists after physical therapy or anti-inflammatory medications, a doctor may order imaging studies and blood testing. These tests can help identify if there are potential cancer markers that are causing the lower back pain.
Common Back Problems Affected By Obesity
Whether obesity is the cause or contributor to lower back pain, it is clear that the excess weight can do the back little good. As a structure that helps support the body and influence movement, the back has a normal spinal curve that is most effective in a neutral position.
When a person is obese, any added weight in the midsection shifts the pelvis forward and causes the spine to curve excessively inward. We call this hyperlordosis or swayback. It is a condition that exerts abnormal pressure on back muscles that are forced to bear the weight.
Exercises designed to strengthen the lower abdominal muscles may help counteract this effect and bring the pelvis back into a neutral position. But, more importantly, the loss of weight is key to relieving the strain on the back and spine.
Obesity can also exacerbate other common back conditions. Among them:
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Belly Fat Puts Pressure On The Back
It is surprising just how much losing belly fat in the stomach and back pain are connected, but its true belly fat puts a literal pressure on the muscles of the back indirectly.
Due to the pressure felt by the abdominal muscles due to belly fat and a huge stomach, the muscles which lie along the back of ones legs and in ones butt must make up for the same and have to end up working more than their usual capacity.
This leads to shortened, less flexible tissues and muscles, restricting ones joint mobility and increasing the propensity for sprains, strain and pain.
How To Lose Weight With Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain is caused by injury to your muscles, ligaments, joints, or discs. Your body produces an inflammatory healing response causing severe pain. Muscles and ligaments heal quickly, but torn discs may or may not.
When you have lower back pain, try not to do strenuous exercises that may further aggravate your lower back.
Instead, stick to these exercises that can help alleviate the pain in your lower back and also burn calories.
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What Are We Seeing In The Next Image
It is all about the curvature of the spine.
A.Normal spine:
- We see a normal disc in between two normal vertebrae ready to handle stress and loads. The ligaments of the spine, the posterior ligamentous complex, simply the ligaments that hold the vertebrae in place and the back of the spine.
B. Hyperlordosis:
- If you have hyperlordosis, the obvious sign is that your butt is sticking out in the back and your stomach is sticking out in the front. This is caused by the shape of the spine. This is not a correct postural balance stance. To keep you from falling over, your body makes adjustments. The rib cage will not alter itself to help provide stability but in doing so will cause pressure on the spine in the midback and lumbar region. You can have problems with muscle spasms throughout your spine. You will have lower back pain problems. You may have trouble breathing as your stomach and abdomen, now forced forwards will take up space where the lungs would need to expand. It also makes getting a well-fitting back brace a problem.
C. Kyphosis: The hunchback
- You probably do not need a medical description of what Kyphosis is. It is the hunchback situation. You are bent forward. This condition comes can come with significant back pain or no back pain at all.
Neuropathic Pain Not From Musculoskeletal Damage Was Higher In Overweight And Obese Patients In Other Words The Weight Is Causing The Pain Whether You Hurt Your Back Or Not
There have been many studies that suggest that it is not the physical load of carrying the extra weight that is causing back pain in obese and overweight patients, but inflammation caused by excess fat changing the body environment to that of chronic inflammation. Please see our article: Excessive weight and joint pain the inflammation connection.
Now researchers are suggesting a relationship between neuropathic pain and obesity with an inflammation connection. In a paper from the University of Tokyo, doctors made these observations:
- Being overweight negatively affects musculoskeletal health
- obesity is considered a risk factor for osteoarthritis and chronic low back pain.
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Belly Fat Causes A Shift In The Centre Of Gravity
When one has a huge stomach and back pain, its because of a shift in ones centre of gravity.
When one has a proper posture, one stands upright with their chest out, chin up, the stomach tucked in, and the lower back curves to keep the hips straight.
However, when one is carrying extra weight or is overweight, every body part is heavier and its the spine that bears the burden.
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When one is overweight, especially the in the stomach area, the situation tends to shift ones entire centre of gravity forward, thus straining the back muscles.
In fact, staying within 5 kg of your ideal weight will help you avoid lower back pain due to being overweight.
Common Factors That Contribute To Back Pain
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Beer Bellies And Back Pain
Do you enjoy a nice, cold beer at the end of a hard workday? Beer in moderation is okay for your health, but indulge too often, and you are likely to get some unexpected and undesired side effects. One of the most noticeable effects from drinking too much beer is excess weight gain in the stomach area, more commonly known as the beer belly. Not only is this beer belly unsightly, but it can also put a lot of strain and pressure on your back, leading to pain.
Beer Bellies Arent Just From Beer
While people call it a beer belly, the excess weight in the stomach area can be caused by a lot of different things. However, beer is a big issues, alongside with many other alcoholic drinks, because they contain a lot of carbohydrates, sugar, and calories. Since the drinks are alcohol, the body burns through that first, leaving the excess carbs, sugar, and calories left to become excess fat.
How Beer Bellies Cause Back Strain
For every pound you gain, more stress is put on your body. You will feel it most in your back, hips, and knees, especially if you try to do physical labor or exercise. The beer belly is also causing your stomach to change your center of gravity, much like what happens with a pregnant woman. Therefore, your body will change its posture to compensate for the added weight in front. This change in posture can also cause you more back pain and even make your back more prone to injuries.
Lose the Belly, Lose the Pain
I Am Overweight And My Back Hurts
If the back pain youre experiencing is persistent and debilitating, visiting a doctor is your best option. Initially, you may just want to visit with your family’s general practitioner. However, you may have to eventually visit with a more specialized surgeon depending on the severity of your condition and whether or not it has to do with your spine. Occasionally, back pain is a symptom of a much more serious condition that you would want a doctor to diagnose. Many of the above conditions make take a doctor’s diagnosis before you really know what is going on.
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Health Problems That Can Be Caused By Belly Fat
Most people would love to shed a few pounds, especially around the midsection. It doesnt have to be swimsuit season for us to want that six-pack, but belly fat goes way beyond appearance. Fat around our midsections means serious health consequences. Because its closer to our organs, its more dangerous than carrying fat in other areas of the body, such as the hips or legs.
There are many chronic health conditions that are either caused or worsened by this dangerous fat. Belly fat is different than other areas because of visceral fat. Most fat in our body is considered subcutaneous fat. This fat sits right below the skin surface. Fat in and around our bellies is made up of both subcutaneous fat and visceral fat, which is deep into our abdomens. This visceral fat crowds our organs and leads to serious health problems like heart disease, diabetes, and even some types of cancer. Visceral fat has even been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer and gallbladder problems in women.
Back Pain And Abdominal Bloating
A number of possible reasons exist for the co-occurrence of spinal pain and abdominal bloating. Bloating can occur for a number of reasons, ranging from very benign causes like overeating or eating fatty foods to more serious concerns like autoimmune disorders and cancer.
As far as foods go, there are quite a few different types of food that cause bloating, which can trigger pain in stomach and back. Foods rich in oligosaccharides can cause abdominal bloating, as can strawberries, apricots, prunes, Brussel sprouts, dairy products, sweeteners, and whole grains. When these foods cause fiber to get backed up in the digestive system, bloating and constipation can occur, making it crucial that you drink plenty of liquids to keep the fiber moving.
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Whats The Outlook For People With Back Pain And Cancer
Less than 10 percent of spinal tumors actually start in the spine, according to the Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Even if a spinal tumor is present and causing lower back pain, the tumor isnt always cancerous.
If the lower back pain is related to metastatic cancer, its important to talk to your doctor about your treatment outlook. When cancers start to spread, this may indicate a poorer prognosis.
Lower Back Pain When Walking Or Standing
It is not uncommon for people of all ages to experience lower back pain while standing or walking. This kind of pain can be extremely frustrating as it limits you from being able to perform simple tasks that are heavily apart of everyday life. Most often someone who is having back pain while he or she is walking or standing has an issue with degenerative discs. Like we stated early, suffering from degenerative disc issues becomes increasingly more likely with the more excess weight youre carrying on your body. The excess weight stresses out your body’s muscles, joints, etc ultimately causing them to deteriorate faster.
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Ab Exercises For Back Pain Sufferers
Dont do sit-ups! Sit-ups can put tremendous pressure on your spine.
Sit-ups push your curved spine against the floor. Most people tend to use their hips while doing sit-ups and not their core.
Before doing the following exercises, please check with your physician. Certain exercises may aggravate specific injuries.
- Partial crunches
If any of these exercises gives you discomfort or pain, stop, try another.
How Is The Cause Of Chronic Abdominal Pain Diagnosed
Your healthcare provider will examine you. He or she may ask about your family history of abdominal pain. Tell your provider about your symptoms and the medicines you currently take. Tell him or her if anything makes your symptoms better or worse. Based on what your provider finds after the exam, and your symptoms, you may need any of the following:
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Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Is Characterized By Higher Than Normal Testosterone Levels
Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a hormonal disorder that affects many people with ovaries. Saeed said people with PCOS can have higher than normal testosterone levels and subsequently gain weight.
It is thought these high levels of testosterone might cause this typical male pattern of weight gain, he explained. He recommended speaking with your doctor if you suspect you have this condition.
Plan Ahead To Lose Weight
Changing habits is never easy, but good planning helps create the inertia needed to shift diet choices.
Each week, perhaps on a Saturday or Sunday, plan ahead what youll eat for the following week. Find a few healthy recipes, whether on a food blog or from a cookbook, and buy all the necessary ingredients so you have them on hand.
Knowing what to eat takes the guesswork and thinking out of meal planning. The question of What should I eat? never seems to go away, partially because once its solved for one meal, its already time to figure out the next.
Most people have go-to meals, ones they make without even thinking. The idea is to create a new set of healthy, nutritious go-to meals through planning. Without planning ahead, lunchtime will come around, youll wonder what to eat, and end up eating an unhealthy go-to meal. Then you wont meet your weight-loss goals, get mad at yourself, and develop the misconception that youre not capable of losing weight.
Its just not true! You can lose weight. It just requires good planning. Another part of planning ahead is deciding how youll handle those times youre busy and dont have time or the desire to cook.
Maybe you know youll be busy on Tuesday night, so on Monday, you make a big batch of soup, or pre-cut vegetables for a salad or quick stir-fry. Cooking in batches is a wonderful way to reduce the amount of time and energy spent cooking.
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