Back Pain: Postural Changes Due to Weight Gain

Gaining even a modest amount of weight can cause significant changes in your posture.  This can make you much more likely to suffer back and neck pain.

Weight gain is most commonly associated with low back pain, but the mid, upper back and neck are also affected by weight gain.  The human body has specific areas where it puts excess weight, such as the stomach, hips and thighs.  When your body starts stacking extra pounds in one spot, it creates an imbalance and subsequent shift to your center of gravity.  If you didn't shift the weight to counterbalance, you would fall on your face!  The body shifts to accentuate all curves, the low back, mid back and neck.

In addition to increasing the curves, the shifting of weight changes the areas that are bearing the bulk of your weight.  When you have extra on the front, you shift backward, increasing the amount of weight concentrated on the posterior elements of your lumbar spine.  These small joints, known as facet joints, are not designed to bear weight.  They will become enlarged and arthritic with prolonged excess pressure. It also makes you more likely to herniate a disc.  The mid back becomes more rounded, forcing the head forward of the shoulders.  This causes a great deal of stress on the muscles of both the upper back and the neck.  This can create both back pain and headaches.

When the body is under prolonged stress in the "wrong" areas, it will begin to make changes to attempt to adapt. If your weight changes for a short time, such as for pregnancy, the body will be able to return to normal.  With time, more changes are made. Some of these changes can be reversed.  If you lose weight, your body will be able to go back to a more ideal posture.  However, some of these changes are irreversible.  This means that even if you lose weight, the damage will remain.

You may be thinking, "why even try to lose weight once the damage is permanent?"  It is always worth trying to reach a more ideal weight.  As I said before, some postural changes are reversible.  The ones that aren't will be under a lot less stress with less weight to carry.  This will result in decreased pain and less progression of the damage over time.

Chiropractic care can treat the pain caused by excessive weight and postural shifting.  It can also cut down on the arthritic progression that can result.  However, your best bet is weight loss and exercise combined with appropriate chiropractic care.  Your chiropractor can help guide your body through the changes that accompany weight loss and make sure that you feel as good as you can through the whole process.  This is especially true if the weight loss is rapid, such as that which occurs after gastric bypass.  Your body can experience significant pain during this time, as your body's stabilizers cannot adapt as quickly as your body changes.  Exercise is essential to aid this process, but you need to make sure you choose the right intensity and program.  Again, your chiropractor, primary care physician or physical therapist can aid in this process.

We expect so much from our bodies and often give them very little help in the form of nutrients and exercise.  It is always good to take a minute and think about it a little more closely.  Be good to yourself.  Your body will hold up over time if you treat it right!