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Can Obesity Cause Back Pain

Current Relief And Future Risk Prevention

Can Being Overweight Cause Back Pain?

Individuals who have lost weight to lessen their back pain generally see positive results. If individuals who are overweight have back or spine surgery before they attempt to lose weight, the results are less successful for their weight loss attempts. However, if weight loss regiments are implemented to reduce back pain, relief from back pain is a common outcome. Surgery recovery is improved when individuals lose weight before surgery, and osteoarthritis stressors are reduced when body fat is diminished.

A lower BMI reduces the risk of future back injuries. Preventing future back injuries is as simple as losing weight and continuing exercise and healthy habits. The likelihood of back injuries with obesity is enough to convince many to strive for a healthy BMI and reduced abdominal fat to leave their spines flexible and supported.

Can Being Overweight Cause Rib Pain

We are all aware of the obesity epidemic in America. We know that being overweight can lead to diseases, but did you know that it can also cause rib pain?

As obesity increases, so does the incidence of compression fractures in the spine. According to one study, persons with rib pain are more likely to develop spinal fractures as a result of osteoporosis or obesity. Researchers say 1 to 2% of ribs fracture each year because of these conditions.

For the study, they looked at patients with rib pain. Of those, 22% had a previous spinal fracture and 22% had osteoporosis. The researchers then compared the two conditions to figure out if there was a connection between them. They discovered that the incidence of rib pain and fractures was about the same whether or not there was an underlying spine problem.

The key to understanding this result is to realize that people with hip fractures and osteoporosis also have trouble breathing as a direct result of compression in the lungs. Rib pain can be caused by compression on the ribs, which makes it difficult to breathe. It is very difficult to breathe when you are overweight, so it is no surprise that obesity can also cause rib pain.

  • Why is my rib pain so severe?
  • 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.
  • Neuropathic pain that did not arise from musculoskeletal damage was higher in overweight and obese patients.
  • Paroxysmal pain was more severe, suggesting that neural damage might be aggravated by obesity-associated inflammation.
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    Living A Healthy Lifestyle

    Obesity and chronic pain can both make the other condition worse. For example, the more pain you have, the less you are likely to exercise or even move around very much. This may lead to weight gain. Carrying extra weight worsens the pain, and you become even less active.

    You are also likely to get depressed from the pain and lack of activity or ability to do things. You might eat more, have less energy to shop and cook for yourself or eat fast food or junk food for comfort if you are depressed. This also makes obesity, pain and your overall health worse.

    If you have chronic pain, treating obesity can lead to much less painwithout drugs, surgery or other procedures that can have side effects or do more damage. For example, if you start taking a short walk each day, your energy level will go up. With more energy, you can shop for fresh foods and prepare a healthy meal.

    Exercising and eating fresh foods, with family or friends if possible, makes you feel less depressedand you might start losing weight. This can decrease your chronic pain. You will also lower your risk of diabetes, heart attack, stroke, cancer, and many other serious health conditions. All these things work together to make you healthier and help you feel better and better.

    To learn more about ways to treat obesity and chronic pain, check out the Guide to Nutrition for Chronic Pain.

    Your Health Into Your Own Hands

    Demographic Lifestyle Factors And Socio

    Disease Graphics, Videos &  Images on Sciatica

    Demographic and lifestyle data, including date of birth, gender, education, smoking , and leisure time physical activity , were collected in 19992000 by trained interviewers using standardised questionnaires as reported previously . The Short Form 36 , a self-administered questionnaire which measures mental and emotional conditions of a person , was used to determine the physical and mental health component summary scores, and bodily pain. Socio-economic indexes for areas were estimated using the SEIFA . The index is constructed such that high values reflect areas with high socio-economic position and low values reflect areas with low socio-economic position .

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    Fat Can Release Harmful Chemicals

    Your spare tire isnt just a blob of inert tissue. Fat can secrete chemicals that contribute to painful inflammation. Over time, these chemicals can wear down components of your skeleton.

    Belly fat may have a more important role in this chemical release than fat deposits elsewhere. Consider the study in PLOS ONE that examined potential links between obesity and degenerative disc disease. Researchers found a connection in obese men, but not in obese women. They suspect this is because men tend to store fat in their bellies, whereas women tend to store it in their buttocks and thighs. Weight carried in the abdomen can accentuate lordosis while weight carried in the legs tends to do so less.

    Mechanical stress in this case, the extra force placed on the spine by a large abdomen is a factor in disc degeneration. But the authors also say metabolically active fat tissue has an important role in disc degeneration as well.

    Supporting Your Spine When Youre Overweight

    Naturally, losing weight can help reverse weight-related back pain. You can exercise. Cardiovascular exercise and weightlifting can help strengthen the muscles that support your back. And activities such as yoga and pilates can stretch muscles and make them more flexible.

    Smart eating can also help your spine. Choosing foods that are high in calcium and vitamin D, such as dairy foods and leafy green vegetables, can help prevent osteoporosis, a condition in which bones, such as those in your spine, become thin and brittle.

    You can also protect your spine by quitting smoking and improving your posture.

    Dr. Kuznits shares, “Many patients express frustration about not being able to lose weight by exercise because they are in too much pain to work out. I ecourage those patients to jump-start their weight loss with a diet, and add exercise when they feel that they can do so without discomfort.”

    “Fortunately, weight-loss programs have evolved in recent years from crash dieting and calorie-counting to mindful eating. The focus has shifted from rapid weight loss results to offering better guidance while supporting accountability necessary for lasting behavior change. Another positive trend is that nutritional counseling and therapies are now covered by most insurance plans,” Dr. Kuznits notes.

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    How Does Having A Large Belly Affect My Back

    If you have excess fat in your belly, you are likely to experience side effects. Your core is your center of gravity and will shift with excess weight. This shift will pull your body forward and potentially strain your back. The shift will also cause your body to hold an unnatural posture that in return can cause lots of back pain, and down the line back issues. Many people have a medical condition called pendulous abdomen. With pendulous abdomen, the girth around your lower abdomen is enlarged or overextending. This is usually due to overeating and is extremely common in obese people. The pendulous abdomen is a condition that likely leads to back pain because of the excess fat. Because of this, BraceAbility has designed a brace to help stabilize the abdomen and back region.

    Poor posture also tends to be one of the leading causes of back pain, especially if you are holding it for extended periods of time. Thankfully, there are many steps you can take to initiate correcting your posture. At BraceAbility we have a large variety of posture correcting braces that are a great way to alter your muscle memory. Specifically, check out the posture corrector made for plus-size individuals. The best part about changing your posture is that it can create weight loss. The muscles in your core are forced to work a little harder to hold yourself upright.

    What Could Have Caused The Patients Rib Pain

    Back pain and obesity | How to reduce back pain

    Being overweight can sometimes cause rib pain because of the pressure it puts on your ribs. But this is not always the case. In this case, the pain was more likely caused by inflammation of the soft tissue. In addition, the patient had several other symptoms that would indicate that his rib pain was a result of a condition called benign lipedema. Below is a list of the conditions that could cause pain radiating from your upper back to your ribs. If you have any of these symptoms, you should see your doctor immediately. Its possible that one of these medical conditions could be causing your rib and back pains.

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    Kombucha Beneficial For Gut Bacteria

    Kombucha contains a wide variety of bacteria and fungi that helps ferment the sugar in kombucha drinks. It is able to affect the existing microbes in the gut by inhibiting the growth of various gut-dwelling pathogens. These include:

  • It is a probiotic drink made from fermenting green or black tea
  • It is made up of healthy bacteria that produce acetic acid that is beneficial for blood sugar, insulin levels, and body composition
  • It helps the body process food by lowering insulin levels after a meal
  • It contains polyphenols that reduce oxidative stress, to help fight disease risks
  • It destroys unhealthy bacteria in the gut
  • It helps increase healthy bacteria
  • Kombucha can be thought of as a natural antibiotic. However, it does not come with the weight-gain side effect. Improving the health of the gut through fermented foods like kombucha help reduce the risk for weight gain/obesity, as well as restore gut health for those trying to lose weight by creating a healthy gut environment.

    Disclaimer

    Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP, CIFM, CTG*email: [email protected] in Texas & New Mexico

    References

    Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives. âInfluence of Obesity on Postural Stability in Young Adults.â

    Obesity Surgery. âPostural changes in morbidly obese patients.â

    Go After The Small Victories

    In my office, the people who tend to have the best results and really change their lives are those that get a bunch of small wins. They get a small victory in one part of their life and health, and they become motivated to get more wins.

    It might mean that their first win is breaking the cycle of pain. For so many people, they dont have the will or energy to exercise because everything that they do hurts.

    Then when they start feeling better, they start going out for a daily walk. Then their daily walk leads them to start sleeping better. Then they start having a better morning routine and start eating a healthier breakfast. Then their healthy breakfast makes them feel so good that they want to eat healthier for lunch or dinner.

    Suddenly, they look back and theyve lost 15 lbs without ever trying to lose 15 lbs.

    As health providers, we have to do a better job in finding out where a patients biggest struggle exists, then start leading them on the path towards little victories, which may help them win in the game of life.

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    Belly Fat Can Affect Your Posture

    When the natural curves of your spine are normal, you have a stable, well supported core. Excessive weight, including a large abdomen, pulls these curves out of alignment a contributing factor in back pain.

    Several studies have linked excessive abdominal fat with lordosis, an excessive inward curve of the spine specifically toward the lower back. A study published in Obesity Surgery found that severely obese people had both pain and significant changes in posture, especially in the spine, knees and feet.

    What Is The Reason Behind More And More People Being Obese Or Overweight

    Can Being Overweight Cause Back Pain

    With the unprecedented progress that science has made and the impact it has on our lives especially with the introduction of smart phones and being connected to the world through the Internet always has led to lack of activity in individuals. For example a few years back if you needed to buy vegetables you had to go to the grocery shop, select the item and then buy which required a lot of walking and selecting items but now you can do it by using your smart phone or a laptop. This has resulted in lack of activity in people. Also, it has resulted in people having totally unhealthy diet and eating a lot of junk food just to save time. This has resulted in people taking in a lot of calories but spending very little resulting in them becoming overweight and having then to cope up with different health issues including back pain.

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    Lose Weight To Relieve Back Pain

    One of the challenges of losing weight when you have back pain is that the pain makes it difficult, if not impossible, to exercise. Thats why we begin by creating a plan to ease the pain while helping you with a nutritional evaluation and tips for following a healthy, calorie-controlled diet.

    We offer many chiropractic methods for easing back pain. Depending on the cause of your pain, you may benefit from spinal adjustments, spinal decompression, and gentle exercises that help reduce inflammation.

    As your pain improves and youre able to engage in more rigorous exercises, we create a physical rehabilitation plan. Your regimen is customized to include the therapeutic exercises you need to rebuild strength and restore mobility in your lower back.

    If you struggle with back pain, take the first step toward a pain-free life. at iMed Regeneration Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, or schedule an appointment online today.

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    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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    Excess Weight And Sciatica Pain

    Sciatica pain is often caused or worsened by pressure on the lower back and pelvis. When you carry excess weight, thats exactly where much of the pressure is placed, particularly if you have a tendency to carry your excess weight in your abdominal area.

    In fact, one studyfound that every extra pound of body weight adds an extra four pounds of pressure and weight on your joints and back. Additionally, if youre obese, it can take you longer to heal from sciatica because of the physical strain on your body.

    The Link Between Weight And Back Pain

    The Relationship Between Obesity and Lower Back Pain

    You know that a healthy weight provides a host of health benefits, but you may not know that losing weight can help resolve or prevent back pain.

    Back pain affects more than half of all Americans at some point in their lives. It is a leading cause of disability. The Institute of Medicine has estimated that chronic back pain costs our country approximately $600 billion a year in medical treatments and lost productivity.

    If you suffer from back pain, you know how frustrating and limiting it can be. What you may not know is that there is a link between back pain and your weight. Excess weight and obesity are linked to high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Unhealthy weight stresses almost every organ in the body, so it is no surprise that it also increases the risk for back pain, joint pain, and muscle strain. The lower back is particularly vulnerable to weight-related pressure. According to the American Obesity Association, back pain affects nearly one-third of people classified as obese.

    Maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight can help ease or prevent back issues, and reduces stress on other joints as well. Dropping just a few pounds can make a big difference to your back. For every four pounds you lose, you remove 16 pounds of pressure from your spine. In one study, the risk of developing osteoarthritis dropped 50 percent with each 11-pound weight loss.

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