Are you suffering from lower back pain, buttock pain or numbness in the leg and foot? Your excess weight could be playing a major role in this.
Most of us know that obesity contributes to the development of; coronary heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and colon cancer. However, did you know that obesity is a contributing factor to back pain? Being overweight or obese can significantly contribute to symptoms associated with; osteoporosis, osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), degenerative disc disease (DDD), spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis.
The spine (or backbone) serves as a pillar to support the body’s weight and to protect the spinal cord. The “S” shape when viewed from the side, helps the spine withstand great amounts of stress by providing a more even distribution of body weight.
With proper posture, you stand upright with chest out, chin up, stomach tucked in and the slight inward curve of the lower back keeps your hips straight. A normal back arches up from your pelvis and back, surrounding your vital organs before curving inward again to your neck extending up to your head right between your shoulders. It is balanced and structured. To provide many years of pain free support
In obesity, the upper spine cannot straighten out properly. The neck with time remains bent forward and head leans over the chest instead of upright between the shoulders thus leading to neck pains (cervicalgia) and upper back pains. (See Picture)
Weight gain in your abdomen forces the pelvis to slant forward and places it under tremendous strain as it tries to carry your weight. Due to this tilt of the pelvis, the lower back curves forward too. Thus leading to low back pain.
When the back is pulled out of the normal alignment because of excess weight gain; the muscles, ligaments and bones have to work harder to carry the weight. This can also result into compression of the nerves exiting the spinal column, a disc bulge or disc herniations. These in turn cause lower back pain, buttock pain or numbness in the leg and foot. Excess weight can actually worsen pre-existing spinal issues. For instance, arthritis or inflammation will be further aggravated by the extra pressure. Even with back surgery obese and overweight people would have a higher risk for complications and infections.
Note that the effects of obesity on the back do not happen at once, they build up over time causing great impact. The journey to losing weight begins with watching what you eat. A nutritionist is ideal in helping one walk this journey.
Body Mass Index, or BMI, is used as a screening tool for overweight or obesity. BMI = weight (kg)/height(m)2
- If your BMI is less than 18.5, it falls within the underweight range.
- Suppose your BMI is 18.5 to <25, it falls within the normal.
- If your BMI is 25.0 to <30, it falls within the overweight range.
- If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, it falls within the obese range
