It is no secret that carrying around excess body weight, especially as we age, can cause a number of health problems from cardiovascular diseases and diabetes to back and joint pain. Too much body weight puts extra stress on organs, like the heart, and on joints in the low back, hips, and knees. Recent studies have revealed that more than half of the adults in the U.S. (62 percent) are overweight or obese. That is a very significant number and an enormous problem (no pun intended).
The human body was not designed to carry around extra weight in the form of body fat. Only an additional 20 or 30 pounds can put the musculoskeletal system literally on overload. Weight in the belly, for instance, causes the body to compensate (counterbalance the weight) by tilting the pelvis forward. This produces compression in the joints of the low back. Joint compression constricts nerve activity and produces painful inflammation. Weight-bearing stresses can cause a pinched sciatic nerve or create misalignments of the spinal column that impinge nerves. This is the reason that most overweight individuals suffer from low back pain. Misaligned vertebra can not only cause new arthritic changes in the spine, but can continue to irritate the degenerative changes that have already taken place over the years.
You may be wondering how chiropractic can help. First of all, to be clear, a healthy body weight is a necessity in order for the musculoskeletal system to perform the way it is meant to. That said, in addition, chiropractic treatment relieves nerve impedence in the spine and helps to restore mobility back into the joints of the musculoskeletal system, like in the low back, hips, and knees. A spine in alignment and joints that have healthy movement make exercise and physical activity a lot easier. Exercise will not only help with weight loss, but it can actually decelerate degenerative changes as a person ages.
It is always best to discuss diet and exercise with a healthcare professional, like your chiropractor. Chiropractors not only help individuals get pain relief from back challenges and joint inflammation due to arthritis, but in addition they offer highly knowledgeable advice on the kind of lifestyle changes that can aid an individual in staying healthier and more active through the years. Arthritis and immobility as we get older do not have to be inevitable. The human body was meant to move, to walk, even to dance, without pain, for a lifetime.
So, if you’ve been throwing your weight around and all you’ve been getting in return is back and joint pain, your chiropractor can help relieve your suffering. Make an appointment today!
