Weight and Back pain

Recently I have started hiking in the morning before work 3 days a week. It is a great cardiovascular activity and it gives me time to just ponder different things. Today, I was thinking of the impact of weight on joints and the body. Carrying extra weight and the increased force with each step pounding through your body. The impact extra weight has on all your joints from ankle, moving up to knee, through the hip and into the low back.

If I were to hike my trail with a 30Lb pack on my back, I would certainly notice the difference through all my joints. That is comparable impact as when we move around when if overweight. For every extra pound of body weight we lug around it is an increase of 7Lbs of force through our joints. I always recall that statistic when thinking on this topic and it is staggering to me. If you are 10lbs overweight (and honestly how many of us wouldn't benefit from losing 10lbs...I know I could), you are putting an extra 70lbs of force on your joints. That would certainly increase the wear and tear on your joints and make you more susceptible to osteoarthritis. That wear and tear will also translate into increased wear and tear in your lumbar spine, and predispose you for low back injury.

Far too often low back pain is associated with obesity. And there is a direct correlation between increased adipose tissue in your abdominal region and decreased strength and therefore stability in your low back. For this reason, nutrition is paramount to help decrease low back pain. If you are overweight and suffer from low back pain, not only do you need to address the back pain, but you also need to address the potential cause of your back pain being directly linked to your obesity. As you address the low back pain and get active to strengthen the muscles that will increase stability in your low back, make nutrition a priority as well. Increased activity and proper nutrition can help to decrease your weight and decrease low back pain. So, follow my example and go for a hike!