Obesity and Back Pain
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As many as 127 million Americans are categorized as overweight, according to the American Obesity Association. Obesity is a contributing factor to vast number of serious conditions and illnesses, but many are unfamiliar with how obesity contributes to low back pain.
Obese people tend to carry most of their excess weight around the abdomen rather then distributing the body’s weight uniformly. This puts an unusual amount of stress on the lumbar spine region. Most obese people don’t exercise much - lack of body conditioning leads to poor flexibility and weak muscle tone in the back and pelvis. The forward tilt of the pelvis causes an increase in lumbar lordosis or lumbar curve; putting an extreme amount of stress on the lumbar spine makes it more vulnerable to conditions that include herniated discs, osteo arthritis, sciatica, degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis. Obesity can aggravate existing low back pain and contribute to the reoccurrence of the condition as well.
The increased risk of back pain is actually one of the least serious consequences associated with being over weight. Obesity decreases quality of life as a whole - maintaining a healthy weight can improve the quality of your life in a number of ways.
