QI Spine Blog


Does excess weight cause Back Pain?

Does excess weight cause Back Pain?

Dr. Garima Anandani, 5 years ago

“People, who are overweight are at greater risk to experience chronic back pain.” All of us are aware that excess weight can interfere with our health. It increases the risk of heart diseases and lowers life expectancy of the patient. But is it also causing a pandemic of back pain? The number of obese population in India has doubled in the last ten years and so is the number of back pain patients. Seems like there is a positive correlation between the two. Obese people complain more often of back pain than regular healthy people. But lack of awareness among patients on this aspect prevents them from understanding the direct connection. When you are overweight the cervical spine has to bear extra weight than normal. And, as a result, it suffers greater wear and tear and increases your chance to suffer back pain. Obese patients also suffer from constant fatigue and breathing shortness which prevent them from indulging in physical exercise. If no action is taken on time the spine can collapse with gradual increase in body weight – get tilted or pressed and over a period may develop an unnatural curvature. “We want you to watch your weight, especially, when you are overweight. Every pound that you gain increases the stress on your spine. The ideal BMI (Body Mass Index) is 25 and any value more than that is a red flag. Overweight people often experience sciatica and patients with spondylosis have experienced their pain to worsen with weight gain.” – warned Dr. Garima.

How extra fat aggravates your back pain

  • More fat equals to more pain
  • When you gain extra weight it stains the musculoskeletal and your spine get stressed
  • Excess weight around the waistline starts pulling the pelvis forward which puts stress on the lower back
  • Excess weight also impact the muscles and tendon which can also cause back pain
  • It can lead to pinched nerve syndrome
 

What to do when you are overweight

“When you are overweight the best approach is to take notice of that and start working on losing it. There is no alternative to an active lifestyle and healthy diet. You need to check with your doctor if you are the risk of any other health problem due to weight gain. At QI Spine we treat patients with complaints of sciatica, lower back pain, and spondylosis. And, we help them to manage their weight with holistic lifestyle improvement solutions. If you are overweight and in pain, do not waste time and seek professional help at once.”
  • Indulge in a healthy lifestyle
  • Adopt a healthy diet and discourage unhealthy craving
  • Cut carb and fat from your meals
  • Workout daily like – cardio, walking, swimming, dancing etc.
  • Start practicing yoga like – boat pose, tree post, bridge pose etc.
  • Join a weight loss program
  • Stop smoking and drinking
Losing excess weight can significantly improve your condition. Overweight patients can’t exercise or avoid doing it which further worsen their condition. It is therefore, obese patients are treated under pain management and weight loss programs.

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