Back issues?

kjkj1126

I am not new to mfp, but I am new to posting. I’ve lost weight, gained weight, lost it again, gained it back. I have chronic back issues that have been acting up again and the cost of addressing them is ENORMOUS, even with insurance. I’m logical. Being about 60-70 pounds overweight is certainly a player in this game. And carrying the extra weight is only going to shorten the effectiveness of any intervention I decide to try. Just curious if anyone can attest to the pain relieving benefits of significant weight loss? I am so motivated to get going after getting the call today about just having a mri!

drachford

Back pain for me was a negative feedback loop... I gained 50lbs at least when my pain was acute.
Part of it was stress, which increases cortisol, which makes people hold on to body-fat. It was also eating poorly, not caring about myself and feeling helpless.

What changed for me was a Physical Therapist suggested I go to yoga.
I was in pain for years, and thought I had nothing to lose.

So I went, did what I could, somehow believed I could heal myself.
The first month, I lost 10 lbs. Month 2 & 3, another 10 pounds each, down 30! Then over a few more months, I lost another 20.

That was 10 years ago...mostly pain free. now I teach yoga.

sijomial

I've had a multitude of disc prolapses (mostly lumbar spine but some other areas too). As a result several disc spaces are badly shortened so that I'm always pretty close to nerve impingement. Been under a warning of "one more big prolapse and you will need to have spinal fusion surgery" for about 11 years.
Life wasn't much fun then, very restricted in what I could do, lots of pain.

A few things helped:
1/ Finding an excellent Osteopath who didn't just treat acute episodes well to shorten recovery time and lessen pain but also put me on a great rehab path to manage the underlying chronic condition. Much of the focus was on building core strength to compensate for my back weakness. Took a lot of work and very slow progression but really worth it.

2/ Avoiding uncontrolled movements as much as possible. My worst prolapse was from missing a step when climbing stairs as opposed to lifting "heroic" weights. Part of the reason my main exercises are cycling and weight lifting - both very controlled ROM.

(Bolded to directly answer your question.)
3/ Avoiding vertical compression, I can tolerate a lot more now than I could back then but still have to be sensible (not easy for me!). Losing just 30lbs made a noticeable difference. Although not a huge weight that 30lbs was compressing my back the whole time I was upright. Less pain, higher function, came off regular meds that were virtually a daily need.

4/ For acute episodes a combination of anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic muscle relaxants and pain-killers really helped shorten the duration and magnitude. Haven't had to take my emergency meds for ages - last batch went past their expiry date unused.

Comparing a MRI scan a couple of years ago to my original X-rays showed virtually no deterioration.
Quality of life, my functional capabilities and happiness have improved immeasurably.

Put 60-70lbs in a back pack and wear it for a few hours and see how much worse you are (or more sensibly just imagine the difference). Some things are out of your control but your weight is your choice, it takes hard work but no money.

RAinWA

Losing weight was the best thing I ever did for my back. I have genetic spinal defects and needed several lower back surgeries and two cervical disk replacements (the 2nd one later this week).

BUT since losing more than 125 pounds, I have had so much relief from the lower back issues. I can now manage most of the time without any medications or medical interventions at all.

Besides losing the weight, walking, stretching, strengthening my core have all helped tremendously.

I think you will be really pleased with how much taking off the excess pounds will help. Best of luck to you!

Unknown

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Mykatet

Having chronic back pain is one of the reasons I want to lose weight too. I have about 100 pounds to lose as well. Chronic pain which limits mobility really does just feed on itself. The more pain-the less I move, the less I move-the more I gain, The more I gain-the more pain I am in etc, repeat. Ironically I was at my lowest weight as an adult when I injured my back. Now about 2 years later, I'm the heaviest I've ever been.

1BlueAurora

I suffered a bulging disc and was pretty much an unhappy camper in pain for a year. The helpful things for me were (1) going to a physical therapist, (2) learning no-impact stretching exercises, and (3) losing the excess weight. I spent some time laying on my stomach to keep my spine stable (you may need to lay down on your back, depending on what the doc says). It was important not to spend all my time sitting, because getting up and enduring the pain of being completely sedentary was no way to live. Good luck on finding what works for you! And be sure to resume counting calories with MFP to either lose the weight you'd otherwise gain by being inactive. I ate some more food when I was injured because I was bored or wanted the comfort. I finally quit that and regained some discipline with MFP logging. You can, too.

lorrpb

Losing weight combined with strength training has eliminated most of my back issues.