Does Overweight Cause Back Pain?
Recent figures by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that 69% of American’s are overweight.
These statistics are monitored because being overweight is known to be related to certain types of cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart diseases and many types of chronic health conditions.
Twelve years ago there were more women who were overweight than men but presently 74% of men as opposed to 64% of women are overweight. Good job guys!
Often being overweight is a contributing factor to back problems due to the additional mechanical pressure exerted on feet, ankles, knees, hips, and spine.
Carrying significant levels of excess weight puts higher than average levels of mechanical pressure on joints, causing accelerated wear and tear, accelerating the development of certain chronic conditions.
We sometimes see how excess mechanical pressure on joints can accelerate joint degeneration in spinal imaging studies of individuals who, for a variety of reasons, have one leg longer than the other. Even with a leg length differential of only half an inch, over the course of years, greater severity of degenerative changes on the long leg side, which bears additional weight and pressure, are frequently seen.
Some individuals seem more resistant to degenerative joint changes. Pain may not be noticed for years, but as joints bear higher than normal levels of stress and strain over the course of many years, it’s reasonable to suspect that knee and hip degenerative changes may be occurring.
Spinal conditions such as osteoarthritis (OA), degenerative disc disease (DDD), spinal stenosis, degenerative facet arthritis and degenerative spondylolisthesis (forward slipping of one vertebrae upon the other) are also associated with increased weight bearing and these conditions may then necessitate intervention in attempt to maintain activity of daily living functioning to desirable levels.
Filed under: Sinner Chiropractic
