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Obesity and Back Problems: Connecting the Dots
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Posted on: 11/30/1999
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Obesity and back problems are both public health concerns. Obesity is a serious medical problem that is on the rise in the United States. It affects millions of Americans no matter where they live. Obesity is not based on age, ethnic background, level of education, or gender.
Back problems also affect many people in this country. Back pain isn't usually fatal. However, obesity adds to risk of death. Obesity is linked to heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and stroke.
Not much is known about how obesity affects the ability of a person with back pain to do daily tasks. People who are obese seem to have worse back pain and symptoms than those who are not obese. And data collected from 15,000 patients at 26 different clinics showed that obese people with back problems have more day-to-day difficulties than obese people with other conditions. For example, someone with obesity and back pain is worse off than someone with obesity and shoulder or knee problems. Likewise, obesity and back pain have a worse outcome than obesity and cancer, lung disease, or lupus.
Obese patients are more likely to receive workers' compensation. They are also more likely to have leg and nerve pain. This study showed that obese back patients are more disabled overall. They have more severe back pain and a greater number of other health problems. Other problems may include heart disease, headaches, arthritis, stomach ulcers, depression, lung disease, and diabetes mellitus.
Some scientists think obesity puts people at risk for other health problems. Other scientists suggest that obesity keeps people from being active and exercising. This in turn causes back and other problems.
Another theory is that obesity and back problems are both connected to depression. Maybe obesity and back pain aren't directly related to each other. Instead they may both be the result of depression, anxiety, and stress. Studies show that obesity and depression tend to go hand in hand.
What difference does this make, anyway? Doctors would like to be able to treat obesity and back pain more effectively. This kind of information helps them set treatment goals. It's important to recognize that obesity is a chronic disease that negatively affects back pain. Without treating the obesity, the patient may not recover from back problems.
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References:
Jason C. Fanuele, MS, et al. Association Between Obesity and Functional Status in Patients With Spine Disease. In Spine. February 1, 2002. Vol. 27. No. 3. Pp. 306-312.
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*Disclaimer:*The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. |
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