Excess Weight - A Cause Of Back Pain
Back pain is one of our modern world's most common complaints.
A recent study has found that more severe lumbar spinal disc degeneration is found in overweight and obese patients than in those of normal weight.
In fact, too much weight may be a cause of back pain according to experts.
Earlier work has linked high body mass index to complaints of lower back pain.
That dull, lingering ache or the sharp, sudden pain that takes your breath away can come on suddenly (lifting, accident, fall) or over time because of changes in the spine that come with aging.
No matter what the cause, those who deal with this pain on a regular basis know that it can impact both your physical and mental health, as well as limit how well you get around, reduce your quality of life, not to mention being associated with lots of expenses for both the sufferer and the system at large.
The latest research on back pain and weight involved just over 1000 men and almost 1,600 women over 21 from southern China who were recruited between 2001 and 2009.
They were all from different social and economic backgrounds.
The team conducted assessments and MRIs of the lumbar spine for all participants.
At the start of the study, 73% of the subjects had some disc degeneration, though it was more commonly seen in men compared to women, and more likely in older people.
The weight of the study subjects broke down as follows...
- 7% were underweight - 48% were normal weight - 36% were classified as overweight - 9% were considered obese The study confirms that a higher BMI brought a sizeable increase in the severity of the degeneration of the disc.
End stage disc degeneration was most pronounced in the obese subjects.
Still, the authors realize that disc degeneration is a complicated process that probably involves both structural and chemical changes in the disc itself.
The researchers theorize that as a person gains weight, the disc degeneration happens because of the physical load on the disc itself.
Fat cells might also play a part by bringing on chronic, low-level inflammation.
Beyond your weight, there are other risk factors known to contribute to back pain including getting older (first attack happen between 30 and 40), how fit you are (pain is more common among those who aren't fit), what you eat because lots of calories and fat can add pounds and stress the spine, your genes, your race (African American women are two times more likely to develop back problems than whites) and the presence of other disease like arthritis and cancers.
The work you do can certainly play a part in back pain, a job that calls for heavy lifting, pushing, pulling and such can put you at risk for pain or injury to the spine - just as an inactive (desk) job with poor posture or an uncomfortable chair can bring pain in the back.
Smokers run a higher risk of lower back pain - whether because the smoking blocks the body's ability to deliver nutrients to the disks, slows healing or that repeated coughing stresses muscles and brings pain - though no one knows why.
When researchers and other health care professionals think about the many obese and overweight people in the world today, they are concerned regarding it as a cause of back pain.
Findings like these shine a light on the potential impact of all that weight we're all carrying.
Spine health is so important in order to maintain our mobility as we age.
Doing all you can to see that your own spine stays healthy is key, and one of those things is keeping the pounds from settling in.
A recent study has found that more severe lumbar spinal disc degeneration is found in overweight and obese patients than in those of normal weight.
In fact, too much weight may be a cause of back pain according to experts.
Earlier work has linked high body mass index to complaints of lower back pain.
That dull, lingering ache or the sharp, sudden pain that takes your breath away can come on suddenly (lifting, accident, fall) or over time because of changes in the spine that come with aging.
No matter what the cause, those who deal with this pain on a regular basis know that it can impact both your physical and mental health, as well as limit how well you get around, reduce your quality of life, not to mention being associated with lots of expenses for both the sufferer and the system at large.
The latest research on back pain and weight involved just over 1000 men and almost 1,600 women over 21 from southern China who were recruited between 2001 and 2009.
They were all from different social and economic backgrounds.
The team conducted assessments and MRIs of the lumbar spine for all participants.
At the start of the study, 73% of the subjects had some disc degeneration, though it was more commonly seen in men compared to women, and more likely in older people.
The weight of the study subjects broke down as follows...
- 7% were underweight - 48% were normal weight - 36% were classified as overweight - 9% were considered obese The study confirms that a higher BMI brought a sizeable increase in the severity of the degeneration of the disc.
End stage disc degeneration was most pronounced in the obese subjects.
Still, the authors realize that disc degeneration is a complicated process that probably involves both structural and chemical changes in the disc itself.
The researchers theorize that as a person gains weight, the disc degeneration happens because of the physical load on the disc itself.
Fat cells might also play a part by bringing on chronic, low-level inflammation.
Beyond your weight, there are other risk factors known to contribute to back pain including getting older (first attack happen between 30 and 40), how fit you are (pain is more common among those who aren't fit), what you eat because lots of calories and fat can add pounds and stress the spine, your genes, your race (African American women are two times more likely to develop back problems than whites) and the presence of other disease like arthritis and cancers.
The work you do can certainly play a part in back pain, a job that calls for heavy lifting, pushing, pulling and such can put you at risk for pain or injury to the spine - just as an inactive (desk) job with poor posture or an uncomfortable chair can bring pain in the back.
Smokers run a higher risk of lower back pain - whether because the smoking blocks the body's ability to deliver nutrients to the disks, slows healing or that repeated coughing stresses muscles and brings pain - though no one knows why.
When researchers and other health care professionals think about the many obese and overweight people in the world today, they are concerned regarding it as a cause of back pain.
Findings like these shine a light on the potential impact of all that weight we're all carrying.
Spine health is so important in order to maintain our mobility as we age.
Doing all you can to see that your own spine stays healthy is key, and one of those things is keeping the pounds from settling in.
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