No gain, no pain.
Yes, you read it right.
Weight gain causes all sorts of pain. This doesn’t happen sometime down the road, the pains that come with weight gain can hit you nice and early in life, it could be affecting you now. Weight management is always spoken about as something to do for yourself for the distant future. People are told they have to lose weight to avoid a heart attack in 30 years. While that is a good reason, it probably doesn’t resonate with anyone focused on the here and now. So for those who like to live in the moment, it’s important to know that carrying excess weight could be causing you discomfort right now.
Being overweight causes low back pain. This is due to the increased force placed on the spine, the loss of muscle strength and shift in your centre of gravity. Carrying extra weight also increases the likelihood your back problem developing into sciatica – the nerve pain felt in the legs that originates in the spine.
Carrying a few extra kilos also cause significant knee pain. The risk of developing knee arthritis is seven times higher for the obese compared to those that are categorised as just ‘overweight’. The good news here is that depending on your size a little bit of weight loss makes a massive difference to pain levels!
So if you know you have some extra weight to lose, go for it. Your joints will thank you. The only negative side effect is that you might put your friendly neighbourhood chiropractor out of business.
I recommend seeing your healthcare professional before undertaking any weight loss program.
References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22237485
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26996726
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26554281
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24939675
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26297359
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2528971
Scott Leabeater is The Backstory Chiropractic’s Principal Chiropractor. Scott uses up to date research literature to guide an evidence based approach to diagnosis and treatment. His unique professionalism and knowledge has made Scott highly sought after. Throughout his career he has treated everyone from local office workers to Olympic athletes. Scott is an AHPRA registered Chiropractor and member of Chiropractic Australia.