Answer These Questions To Determine Whether Your Back Pain Is Related To Your Weight

Back pain can develop for a number of reasons, including an acute injury and age-related issues such as osteoporosis. Many other factors, however, can also play a role in the health of your back. If you've overweight, your back health may be at risk. Weight-related back pain occurs because the extra weight that you're carrying on your torso exerts pressure on your spine, which can eventually lead to discomfort. In this scenario, a chiropractor or other back care practitioner may be able to relieve some of your pain, but will also recommend that you lose some weight. Here are some questions that you can ask yourself to determine whether your pain may be weight related.

Has The Pain Developed Since I Was Heavy?

If you've been overweight all of your life, it may be difficult to assess whether your back pain is related to your weight. However, if you've gained weight relatively recently, you may be able to determine a link between the two issues. If you didn't experience any back discomfort when you were of a healthier weight, but the pain developed in the months or years after you gained weight, it may be possible that your soreness relates to your weight gain.

Am I Experiencing Other Weight-Related Pain?

Unfortunately, back pain isn't the only type of pain that you can experience when you're overweight or obese. Being too heavy can cause pain in many other areas of your body. For example, you may also notice that you have pain in your knees or your heels; the impact of each step generates more of a shock for these parts of your body, resulting in discomfort. If you're heavy enough that your weight is causing pain in other areas, there's a chance that it's at least partially responsible for your back pain, too.

Are There Other Potential Factors At Play?

Sometimes, you can think about other potential causes of your back pain. Doing so will help you to evaluate whether your back pain is indeed related to your weight. For example, if you recently slipped and fell, and began to experience back pain soon afterward, it's probable that your discomfort is related to the fall, regardless of how much you weigh. However, if you're not able to think of any other factors that could be contributing to your back pain, it's possible that your weight is responsible for how you feel.