Obesity Related Problems

There are some common problems which stem from obesity.  One of the most common ones is musculoskeletal and joint related pain.  Most people are unaware that being overweight adds strain to the muscles and ligaments in their back.  That is why for those who fall into this category, it is important to focus on their overall weight loss when trying to help them with their overall health.

Because the body is trying to compensate for the extra weight it has, the spine can become stressed unevenly which can lead to the spine becoming tilted.  Over time, this can lead to the spine developing an unnatural curvature, hence leading to further problems and causing the back to lose its proper support.

This is how pain in the low back, for example, can be aggravated by obesity.  Because there is this extra weight, specifically in this case in their stomachs, this excess weight now pulls the person’s pelvis forward putting the strain on the lower back to keep it in the correct position.  This now creates this low back pain.

In addition, overweight patients have a much higher rate of experiencing sciatica since there is a higher chance of them having a herniated disc from all this extra strain on the spine. 

“The term sciatica describes the symptoms of leg pain and possibly tingling, numbness or weakness that originates in the lower back and travels through the buttock and down the large sciatic nerve in the back of the leg.

Sciatica is not a medical diagnosis in and of itself – it is a symptom of an underlying medical condition.” (Spine-Health.com)

This is very common as the discs become damaged from having to compensate for the pressure of all the extra weight on the back.

So the bottom line, if you are suffering from back or joint related problems and you are overweight, the best thing to do is to look at your over all health.  This way you can address the root of the problem and not only the symptom.  To relieve your symptoms is great, but that’s only a short term solution.  For the long term solution, you want to treat the cause of the problem so that your overall health and well being is improved.  Your body will thank you for it.