The Connection Between Back Pain & Those Dreaded Extra Pounds

It’s a nice and sunny Saturday morning and you are getting ready to go have a fun day with your family.  You bend over to tie your shoes when suddenly a shooting pain rips through your back.

Uh oh….

What Caused This?

As a certified injury prevention consultant for Backsafe, a nationwide company with over 1,000 health providers, our own Dr. Holst trains employees in proper lifting mechanics to keep their backs safe by avoiding injury.  In his 30+ years of clinical experience, he discovered that lower back pain is cause by more than just lifting technique.

Frequency is also a factor.

…..but why?

For those who frequently lift as a part of their job, at the end of the day, the extra stress that these jobs put on your backs does not end at the end of the day.  Rather, that stress continues 24/7 creating trauma that builds up over time.  In fact, if you bending over and tying your shoes is your first episode of back pain, you are now 11 times more likely to experience it again.

Was it just the little innocent task that caused the onset of pain or was it the years of trauma that built up over time?

The Proof Is In the X-Rays

If you were to go to the doctor after your incident above and they were to take an X-ray you would find your answer – trauma builds up over time causing spinal deterioration.

But that is only a part of the issue….

Carrying a few extra pounds is almost as harmful as lifting the wrong way.

When you are overweight, carrying a few extra pounds is more than just a cosmetic issue. Ask your cardiologist, pulmonologist, and endocrinologist, they will all agree.    Carrying extra weight distracts from your overall health and wellbeing on multiple levels, causes extra stress, and will make tasks like tying your shoes so much harder.

In addition to the direct downward forces caused by extra weight, which also impacts our hips, knees and feet, a large stomach also creates a forward pull to our lower back.  This increases the curve in our lower back, causing degeneration of our lumbar discs and of the small pain-sensitive joints in our back.

Luckily for you, Middletown Health and Wellness Center can help you with both issues!  Tossing away those extra pounds for good and putting your back right into place.   It is not always about a longer life or looking your best, but rather a healthy vibrant higher quality of life and achieving an optimal state of wellness.  For more information visit our website at www.middletownhealthandwellnesscenter.com or give us a call to make an appointment at (845) 344-0444.