Obesity has become one of the most prevalent medical conditions affecting the US population. The American Obesity Association reports that over 60% of the adult population can be classified as obese. Besides the risks for medical conditions such as high blood pressure, colon cancer and coronary heart disease, back pain is another area that has greatly impacted those who suffer from obesity. The medical conditions that result in back pain that are the most common risks are degenerative disc disease, disc rupture or herniation, and spondylolisthesis or slippage of the lower back. Other risks for obese back pain sufferers are spinal stenosis, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. The spine carries the body's weight and disperses the weight that we encounter during our daily activities and rest periods. When we carry excess weight due to obesity, the spine absorbs the additional burden. This can lead to damage or structurally compromise the ability of the spine to do its job. Our lower back is the most sensitive to the effects of an overweight condition. The muscles in the lumbar spine region that support the back, thighs and pelvis can become weak and inflexible due to inadequate amounts of exercise and lessened mobility that frequently occur with obesity. With weakened muscles, the possibility of curvature of the spine increases dramatically in the lower back region. The result is poor posture and additional pain, as well as further affecting whatever medical condition the person is experiencing. A sedentary lifestyle combined with an unbalanced diet can diminish the strength or density of our bones, leading to osteoporosis. The risk of fractures occurs when the actual design of the spinal column has been endangered by the weakened density of the bone structure. Fractures of the vertebrae are not a pleasant experience causing excruciating pain. Osteoarthritis can be a result of excessive body weight causing a disproportionate amount of pressure and stress on the facet joints in the spine. Unhealthy posture may result in neck and back pain. The spine requires good posture and appropriate physical activity to provide the needed support to keep the spine healthy. When you are obese, exercising is very difficult. It takes time to get to a level of activity that allows you breath well and not tire as quickly. If you are already experiencing back pain or other pains, exercising is even more difficult because of the very fact that you are exercising. Your body, muscles and joints are not accustomed to the activity and it is readily apparent in the additional pain that you experience. As much as the pain is too much to bear while beginning to exercise, the long term result of not exercising will be more pain that will only become more intense. Start slowly with gentle exercises that stimulate healing by allowing nutrients to flow to the spine. Every little bit of activity that the muscles and joints experience will condition them and strengthen them, so that it becomes easier and less painful over time. When you add a healthy diet to your exercise program, you are providing additional assistance to your body to help it heal itself. Appropriate vitamins and nutrients are essential to better health. Balance is important, so consult with your doctor or other health care provider to ensure that you get the best results. Obesity and pain feed off of each other. Once the pain starts, activity decreases so as to not aggravate the pain. The lessened activity results in a more sedentary lifestyle which promotes weight increase. As weight increases, more medical problems occur, bringing with it more pain. Experiencing more pain encourages less activity... It spirals out of control and simply does not stop - unless you take action by exercising and eating healthy.
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