Your Weight Could Be the Cause of Your Back Pain

Kayal Pain & Spine Center Understands the Challenges

It happened again. You gave yourself permission to overindulge during the holidays under one “non-negotiable” condition: Starting Jan. 1, you would exercise, eat right and drop some extra pounds. But more than a month has passed and you’ve done little—if anything—to get healthier.

First, don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re not alone. The experts at Kayal Pain & Spine Center, your trusted pain specialist in Bergen County, see this pattern often. However, we truly want the best for our patients. So we’d like to remind everyone that carrying around those extra pounds can cause a host of health issues, including back pain that can lead to serious spinal problems.

Added Strain, Pain

Extra weight can take a huge toll on your back. Here’s why: Every pound places additional strain on your back muscles and ligaments. Your spine can become tilted and unevenly stressed as it tries to compensate for extra weight. Over time, it can develop an unnatural curve as your back loses the ability to properly support your spine.

Even when the cause of your back pain is not extra weight, those excess pounds can play a role in compounding back pain. For example, if you carry excess weight in your abdominal area, it pulls your pelvis forward and causes added strain (and pain) on your lower back. Women who are overweight or have larger waists are especially vulnerable to lower back pain, according to the American Obesity Association.

Some conditions that can be caused or aggravated by excess weight include:

1. Sciatica
2. Herniated discs
3. Pinched nerves
4. Piriformis syndrome
5. Arthritis
6. Osteoarthritis

A Vicious Cycle

Excess weight can cause other problems, including difficulty breathing, shortness of breath and fatigue. If you experience these symptoms, you might be less willing to exercise. And because failure to exercise can result in back pain, it becomes a vicious cycle.

If you need back surgery, your weight can play a factor. The risk of post-surgery complications and infections are higher when you are obese. Losing weight before surgery can improve the healing process.

At Kayal Pain & Spine Center, we encourage you to embrace a lifestyle that allows you to maintain a healthy weight that will help you combat back pain and other health problems. Exercising and eating right are keys to losing weight and keeping it off. It doesn’t always happen quickly. Often, there are bumps in the road. But we know you can do it. And Kayal Pain & Spine Center, your spine specialists in Glen Rock, Westwood, Franklin Lakes and beyond, will be there to encourage you every step of the way.

Schedule an Appointment With Kayal Pain & Spine Center

The specialists at this state-of-the-art pain and spine surgery center in Bergen County are experts with nerve blocks and other sophisticated pain and spine therapies and treatments. To schedule an appointment, call 844.777.0910 or contact us on the web.