Obesity Back Pain – The Causes & Solutions

If you’ve fallen victim of over indulging during the festive season or simply packed on a few pounds over time, you may have noticed a considerable increase in lower back pain. But how obesity back pain affects one person can often be different from another’s point of pain.

It is common knowledge that being overweight puts a person at risk for many different health disorders. But what some people may not realize is the physical damage that it does to the joints, spine, and ligaments of the body.

For most people, it’s the appearance of being overweight or obese that is their primary concern. But its the bodies health which should be where the primary concerns should lay. For every pound that a person weighs over their doctor-advised weight range, the more pressure that it puts on their body, especially their lower back.

This is most commonly seen in those who have apple-shaped body types where the majority of their extra weight accumulates in their abdomen though. People with non pear-shaped body types can have back pain too, but it usually occurs for different reasons.

This is essentially why being overweight can cause back pain that once wasn’t an issue. For a more in depth research continue reading while discovering some easy solutions that can help those who are obese to decrease their lower back pain so that they can start to feel better in no time.

How Does Being Overweight Cause Back Pain?

Quick Links to Info on this Page:

1 How Does Being Overweight Cause Back Pain?
- 1.1 Obese Walking Causes Back Pain
- 1.2 Overweight Back Pain While Sleeping
2 Obesity Back Pain Relief
3 Exercises For Obese People With Back Pain
4 Lose Weight = Back Pain Relief
5 Obesity Does Cause Back Pain

In order to understand how being overweight can cause back pain, it helps to envision the way that the body has to be contorted to carry the extra pounds. When you’re quite top heavy (big belly) the body adapts its posture to handle the extra weight. The hips are thrust forward in an unnatural position, and the shoulders have are push severely backwards.

This forms the spine into a curved shape that puts pressure on the vertebrae. Over time, this leads to the exterior of the vertebrae becoming damaged, so some of them might rupture. The back muscles will become strained too. In particular the lower back muscles as obese people can put large amounts of pressure on the lower spine.

But its very important to understand that while it can be quite painful on your back, the long term effects can be devastating. Much like knee pain from being obese, your back region can develop serious health concerns such as degenerative disc disease, RA, Osteoporosis and spinal stenosis. Which is why us heavier people should consider fixing the problem (obesity) before it causes some serious health concerns.

Obese Walking Causes Back Pain

Many people who are obese can get back pain walking short distances. Simple tasks such as walking the bins out to the road can be quite a painful en devour. But it’s not just back pain from walking an obese person has to deal with.

I know personally that standing still for longer than a few minutes will result in lower back pain. Climbing stairs is also quite difficult too because the body is already contorted into an unnatural position, and the angle of the stairs exacerbates this problem.The excess body weight just applies even more pressure to the lower spine.

Overweight Back Pain While Sleeping

Bed time is the time of day many people look forward to as it recharges the batteries. But for overweight people it can cause more harm than good. Morbidly obese people can suffer the worst back pain of the day while laying down trying to sleep. Because no matter which position that they are in, the pressure on the spine will not be relieved.

Which is why it’s so important for an obese person to own a well supported mattress. The pressure on the spine needs to be relieved so the pack pain subsides. Innerspring mattresses for heavy people make a good choice as they offer some of the most supportive foundations for an obese person.

While sleeping on your side is often the go to position, it also can become quite severe for an obese person. The only thing that doesn’t cause an obese person to experience as much back pain is laying on their back. That is because this position aligns the spine correctly, but not as many people find it comfortable sleeping on their back.

Obesity Back Pain Relief

There are several different methods that doctors can use to help ease back pain, but they are all dependent on what is causing the pain to occur in the first place.

For example, if a person has ruptured the disks in their spine, they will most likely have to have back surgery to repair them. Muscle aches can be treated with simple stretches and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory agents.

Infrared heating pads work great for the lower back pains. These pads come in various sizes from knee wraps up to full body. The full body pads are especially helpful for people that experience back pain while sleeping as you can lay on them and get full spine relief. Infrared are the best choices as they penetrate the tissues of the muscles far deeper than regular heat.

Back pain while sleeping as a result of being overweight can also be improved by purchasing a more supportive mattress as mentioned previously. There is also a device that sends electrical pulses to the back to relax and contract the muscles. It is supposed to help by alleviating tight muscles that are putting added pressure on the spine. Massage therapy is helpful too.

None of these treatments are long-term solutions though since they only cover up the main problem, which is that a person’s weight is basically hurting their back. Many doctors strongly advise their patients who are obese to begin a diet and exercise program to get their weight under control which ultimately can relieve back pain.

Exercises For Obese People With Back Pain

People who are obese and get back pain from walking have to be very careful with the exercises that they do because they could end up damaging their spine further.So always consult your doctor first before undertaking strenuous exercises in this situation.

So it helps to try gentle activities at first, such as swimming. If access to a pool isn’t possible, then it is often helpful to purchase a stationary bike or a treadmill to use at home instead. But if you weigh more than 250 pounds you must buy exercise equipment suitable for heavy people. Regular equipment is not built to handle higher weights and survive the extra pressure applied to the foundation.

Many doctors recommend that aerobic exercises, like biking and walking, be done for at least 30 minutes or more a day.

However, not everyone will be able to exercise for this long at first. So it helps to work up to the total time limit in 10-minute increments. If the back pain becomes severe during exercise, it is important to stop right away though. One way to prevent pain during exercise is by doing some stretches or warm up activities for a few minutes beforehand.

Lose Weight = Back Pain Relief

Currently, there are numerous fad diets out on the market that promise to deliver quick weight-loss results. But like anything that promises instant results with no work on your behalf, chances are they are scams just to get your money.

The vast majority of them are not safe though because they eliminate whole groups of foods that are necessary for getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals. One good example of this is a diet that many people have been trying recently that suggests that people eat only foods that existed in the Paleolithic era.

So food distribution companies quickly jumped on this diet bandwagon by selling expensive precooked meals and snacks to people who were desperate to shed a few pounds. Another diet suggests that all carbohydrates should be eliminated.

There is also a fasting diet that advises that the best way to lose weight is by eating only during certain hours of the day. Of course, this causes a person to stay constantly hungry though. In reality, the only proven method of losing weight is to eat a balanced diet that is composed of whole grains, lean meats, and plenty of fruits and vegetables while avoiding foods that make you obese.

Obesity Does Cause Back Pain

As you can see, back pain is certainly a result of being overweight, especially if you carry the majority of your weight in your abdomen because it forces their body to try to perform a balancing act to stay in an upright position.

In the long-run, this puts enormous pressure on the spine and back muscles. When you’re obese its not uncommon to experience pain in your lower back instead of your upper back because of the way that our hips have to be thrust forward as we walk.

While there are many treatment options available to reduce back pain, in the end, the only long term solution is to lose weight by following a healthy diet and exercise program provided you have not done permanent damage to your spine already.

Obese Walking Causes Back Pain

Overweight Back Pain While Sleeping

Obesity Does Cause Back Pain

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