Back pain after weightloss?

Pokemom33
Pokemom33 Posts: 47 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Sorry if this thread is being missplaced, but I'm unsure where to put it.

For those that have lost alot of wieght and have had a significant weight-loss. Has the pain lessened? Thanks.

Replies

  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,496 Member
    Since back pain can have many causes, losing weight may or may help. That said, losing weight will definitely not hurt and most likely help.

    Best of luck.
  • lukejoycePT
    lukejoycePT Posts: 182 Member
    Back pain is a complex issue as many factors can affect it. However, i would say that losing weight will go a long way towards reducing or even eradicating back pain. I would suggest you go see a good osteopath to determine the reason for your back pain. If all is well you might want to focus on doing some exercises to strengthen, not only your back muscles, but your abdominal muscles too.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    My pain is chronic, so it's not going away, but severe attacks became less frequent due to having a stronger core. I'm not sure if weight loss has anything to do with it (it could if your back pain is mainly due to a heavy belly pulling your back out of shape), but in my case it was the stronger core and walking more that helped the most.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    It's improved but the underlying problem of my many times prolapsed lumbar discs is still there.
    Strengthening my core muscles carefully, progressively and over a long time period also helped.
    But currently I'm two weeks into a pretty nasty disc episode.

    I'm particularly sensitive to vertical compression and impact/shock forces as the remains of three discs are very compacted and I'm always close to impinging various nerves.

    Your back problem could be totally different to mine and have different triggers. If you don't have a diagnosis then that's the first place to start.
  • Johnd2000
    Johnd2000 Posts: 198 Member
    I’ve got 2 compromised discs in my lower back and a long history (25 years) of sciatica.

    Losing 30kg+ didn’t help the underlying problems. The surgery did that. But being lighter and much stronger in my core is helping keep the residual nerve pain issues under control.

    Like the guy above, I’m sensitive to anything that compresses the spine, so heavy lifting is out, but I can hold a plank for 2 minutes now. When my lower back starts to ache, I find just tightening my lower core muscles a bit helps a lot. I’ve also had friends comment that my posture is better, which also helps
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
    Correct diagnosis of back pain is crucial. Until you know exactly what is causing it you won't know what the best treatment is.

    I have dysfunctional sacroiliac joints (the ligaments pop out now and again) but the treatment for this is different than for a spinal issue for example.

    Losing weight will not hurt. Excercises though could cause more damage if they are not suitable for the issue that you have so a correct diagnosis and treatment plan should be your first stop.
  • Azurite27
    Azurite27 Posts: 554 Member
    I have scoliosis and my pain got much better when I lost to a healthy range, but did not go away completely. I've regained and it's gotten increasingly worse. For lots of back issues, losing weight can help but so can building and strengthening the muscles around the area that hurts. But talk to a doctor first before doing exercises which could affect your back issue.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Like everyone else has said, depends on the cause of the pain. I've heard of lots of women who had back pain from being very well endowed when overweight, and once they lost weight and their breasts were smaller, that pain did go away. (Other women with breast-related back pain needed to get reduction surgery.) Obviously, I have absolutely no idea if this is the slightest bit relevant to you, just throwing it out there as an example.

    I had chronic back pain for years that was not related to being overweight. Two things that helped:
    1. Gentle yoga. (Yoga can also hurt your back, so be careful. If you are new to yoga, stick to Gentle/beginner/Restorative, etc.)
    2. A very very good office chair. I have a desk job, and sitting for hours on a standard office chair was murder on my back. I've had a Herman Miller for about 10 years now and I adore it.
    3. I also need to get up at least once an hour while working or I get stiff.

  • sgriska
    sgriska Posts: 109 Member
    I have arthritis in my spine, and was hoping losing weight would be a panacea, but as soon as I hit my goal weight (~150 lbs down from the top weight) I was hit by a flare-up that lasted several months and has only broken recently. So, though conventional wisdom says weight loss works wonders for back problems, that's not always the case, and depends on the cause as others have said.
  • Katmary71
    Katmary71 Posts: 7,082 Member
    In my case, working out has helped the most, but losing weight should help. I've had multiple back surgeries and just started doing my physical therapy routine again. I'd recommend finding out what is wrong with your back and getting a workout recommendation from your doctor and possibly learning from a physical therapist.
  • whitpauly
    whitpauly Posts: 1,483 Member
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    My pain is chronic, so it's not going away, but severe attacks became less frequent due to having a stronger core. I'm not sure if weight loss has anything to do with it (it could if your back pain is mainly due to a heavy belly pulling your back out of shape), but in my case it was the stronger core and walking more that helped the most.

    This is absolutely spot on,weak core muscles are what triggers my back pain,I think too much stress on the back from my weak belly causes my back to spasm so I'm definitely working on that,also I have some loose skin which also pulls my back outta whack
  • Pokemom33
    Pokemom33 Posts: 47 Member
    Thanks everyone. My back pain started off with car accidents. Nothing is out of place according to the drs so they just dismiss it. I have noticed with my wieght gain it has gotten worse. So I am hoping losing will help.

    Thanks again for all the input ❤️
  • Torxa
    Torxa Posts: 61 Member
    edited June 2019
    I was hit by a drunk and have sciatica. In my case, losing weight helped. This was a complete surprise as I was not overweight even at my highest weight, so I did not expect to see a difference. I have read online "lose weight" as the #1 tip to help sciatica sufferers over and over again, but because no doctor ever told me to lose and I was not overweight, felt that instruction did not apply to me all. I only wish I had learned sooner. Years of pain could have been removed or reduced. Good luck to you!
  • harrycharming885
    harrycharming885 Posts: 13 Member
    Some people's weight loss plans involve high-intensity, regular exercise to help burn fat. If you're taking in fewer calories and burning more of them, you may be putting your health at risk. Also, not resting long enough for muscles is a cause of back pain.

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