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| Photo: Justin Sullivan Getty Images |
A 2005 Finnish study made a correlation between obesity in adult men and low back disk degeneration. Researchers looked at the disks of guys from varying walks of life -- construction workers, office workers, machine drivers and carpenters -- by taking MRIs of their spines. Those who were persistently overweight for a period of 4 years showed an increased risk for degenerative disk disease in the lumbar area.
The study participants were grouped according to age – middle aged and young adults. The researchers found that the younger heavyweights placed an even greater risk on the disks of their low backs than did the middle aged men. A total of 129 men were measured.
And, in a recent review of medical literature published by the Department of Veteran Affairs Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, a relationship between increases in body weight and low back pain, along with osteoarthritis and other painful conditions was found.
| Degenerative Disk Disease | Lumbar Spine | Diagnostic Imaging Tests | The Intervertebral Disk |
There are many causes of lower back pain and middle back pain. Overweight sure is one of them. Many people don’t realise how much their back can suffer from carrying around useless balast.