wendyladi98
02-08-2006, 06:58 PM
Hi, I am 25 and am a morbidly obese individual (BMI 44). I am loosing weight slowly, but Rome wasn't built in a day and I need help managing my chronic back/sciatica pain right now. It is so bad I can't walk for more than 15 minutes at a time (on a good day) and that is affecting my weight loss because I am having problems increasing excersise. Does anyone have any ideas how to deal with back pain when trying to be more active?
Thanks,
Wendy
Thanks,
Wendy
Sponsor
sharon6
02-23-2006, 06:35 PM
The short answer: get thee to a chiropractor!
1. It's great you're addressing your weight, because if you have osteoarthritis or something, it will only get worse the more stress you have on your back. (Obesity is a source of stress, but it's not the only one. Tara Lipinski had it as early as age 18 due to all the jumping she did as a figure skater.) The chiro can give you regular adjustments and electrode therapy that in my experience with sciatica really help.
2. They can also x-ray you and see if you have a specific injury or problem, like disc degeneration. Sciatica is never normal, it's always a symptom of something or other. Something is pinching on one of those big nerves in your back and you should try to find out what it is. While a regular doctor can help (and can give you painkillers and muscle relaxers) they will sometimes just assume that it's all the fault of your obesity and tell you to lose weight, that will solve the problem. Maybe so, but maybe not. Maybe you have a back problem that your weight is making worse, but that you can separately address. I find chiropractors are more open to looking at alternatives like accupuncture and nutrition.
3. Do low-impact exercises every day. Yoga is great, so is Pilates but I find yoga much easier to do. Keeping moving is important unless you're in the grips of a severe episode. If you have access to a pool, you should swim. Biking is also easier on the back than walking (in my experience). You could even buy a recumbent bike (that lets you sit back). They have these for the road and for the home.
4. Keep a pain journal that includes such things as activity level and menstrual cycle and eventually you might see patterns. There are the obvious things like osteoarthritis, herniated disks, etc. but if your back pain is substantially worse around your period it could be a sign of endometriosis. Sometimes endo even causes lesions to grow on or near the sciatic nerve itself and this would be very difficult to see unless the dr was specifically looking for it.
5. Try the Perricone diet, which is based on anti-inflammatory theory. Basically it's strictly low glycemic diet (like nutrisystem, south beach, etc.) with additional emphasis on specific "super foods" like salmon and probiotic dairy (yogurt, etc.). I have just gone on this to address various issues including my weight but I can't tell you any results yet. The low glycemic diet DOES do a good job of keeping my energy level even throughout the day.
6. While at home, make a regular practice of hot baths, heating pads, etc. It may be worth joining a gym just to have access to a pool and hot tub. The warm water is very helpful and the bouyancy takes some of the stress of your joints.
7. Finally, make sure you can get therapeutic sleep to help your weight loss and exercise efforts. Have a good mattress (the ideal firmness depends on your sleeping position) and that your bedroom is decorated for restful sleep, not watching TV, working on the computer, etc.
1. It's great you're addressing your weight, because if you have osteoarthritis or something, it will only get worse the more stress you have on your back. (Obesity is a source of stress, but it's not the only one. Tara Lipinski had it as early as age 18 due to all the jumping she did as a figure skater.) The chiro can give you regular adjustments and electrode therapy that in my experience with sciatica really help.
2. They can also x-ray you and see if you have a specific injury or problem, like disc degeneration. Sciatica is never normal, it's always a symptom of something or other. Something is pinching on one of those big nerves in your back and you should try to find out what it is. While a regular doctor can help (and can give you painkillers and muscle relaxers) they will sometimes just assume that it's all the fault of your obesity and tell you to lose weight, that will solve the problem. Maybe so, but maybe not. Maybe you have a back problem that your weight is making worse, but that you can separately address. I find chiropractors are more open to looking at alternatives like accupuncture and nutrition.
3. Do low-impact exercises every day. Yoga is great, so is Pilates but I find yoga much easier to do. Keeping moving is important unless you're in the grips of a severe episode. If you have access to a pool, you should swim. Biking is also easier on the back than walking (in my experience). You could even buy a recumbent bike (that lets you sit back). They have these for the road and for the home.
4. Keep a pain journal that includes such things as activity level and menstrual cycle and eventually you might see patterns. There are the obvious things like osteoarthritis, herniated disks, etc. but if your back pain is substantially worse around your period it could be a sign of endometriosis. Sometimes endo even causes lesions to grow on or near the sciatic nerve itself and this would be very difficult to see unless the dr was specifically looking for it.
5. Try the Perricone diet, which is based on anti-inflammatory theory. Basically it's strictly low glycemic diet (like nutrisystem, south beach, etc.) with additional emphasis on specific "super foods" like salmon and probiotic dairy (yogurt, etc.). I have just gone on this to address various issues including my weight but I can't tell you any results yet. The low glycemic diet DOES do a good job of keeping my energy level even throughout the day.
6. While at home, make a regular practice of hot baths, heating pads, etc. It may be worth joining a gym just to have access to a pool and hot tub. The warm water is very helpful and the bouyancy takes some of the stress of your joints.
7. Finally, make sure you can get therapeutic sleep to help your weight loss and exercise efforts. Have a good mattress (the ideal firmness depends on your sleeping position) and that your bedroom is decorated for restful sleep, not watching TV, working on the computer, etc.
whackedback
03-07-2006, 11:56 AM
Wendy-
I've got about the same BMI as you do (40) and I have had 4 back surgeries over the last 5 years. Two of them were most likely weight related.
It's a good thing that you are losing weight, however, I think it's important that you get your GP to schedule you for a lumbar MRI to see if any of your lumbar discs may be herniated, or they may just be bulging.
My iniitial problem stated about 10 years ago when I would walk and it felt as if someone was sticking a knife in the bottom of my heel. Over a couple of years, it got to where I was unable to walk more than 50 feet or so without having to stop. I would break out in a sweat because herniated disc material was pressing on my lumbar nerves, which in turn sent signals to my brain telling me that my leg was being caused pain from an external source, which of course, wasn't happening.
I chosed to grin and bear the pain for a few years, but I finally gave in and had a lumbar surgery. You've heard that God protects fools and children, and I'm not a child, but I got a great neurosurgeon who fixed me up very well. Two hours after I woke from surgery, they got me up, and the feeling of not having any pain down my leg versus having an almost blinding pain for years was almost too much for me to comprehend. I walked more 2 hours after I awoke from the surgery than I did in the previous month. The nursing staff actually had to yell at me and guide me back to my room. I was walking without pain, and by golly I was going to walk as much as I could.
Sorry for the long story, but if you are having pain while walking, it deserves to be looked at to diagnose exactly what is producing the pain in your body. Learn from my example and don't wait to have it checked out. I was lucky because my only lasting effect of waiting so long is a permanent numb spot on the top of my right foot. Good luck.
WB
I've got about the same BMI as you do (40) and I have had 4 back surgeries over the last 5 years. Two of them were most likely weight related.
It's a good thing that you are losing weight, however, I think it's important that you get your GP to schedule you for a lumbar MRI to see if any of your lumbar discs may be herniated, or they may just be bulging.
My iniitial problem stated about 10 years ago when I would walk and it felt as if someone was sticking a knife in the bottom of my heel. Over a couple of years, it got to where I was unable to walk more than 50 feet or so without having to stop. I would break out in a sweat because herniated disc material was pressing on my lumbar nerves, which in turn sent signals to my brain telling me that my leg was being caused pain from an external source, which of course, wasn't happening.
I chosed to grin and bear the pain for a few years, but I finally gave in and had a lumbar surgery. You've heard that God protects fools and children, and I'm not a child, but I got a great neurosurgeon who fixed me up very well. Two hours after I woke from surgery, they got me up, and the feeling of not having any pain down my leg versus having an almost blinding pain for years was almost too much for me to comprehend. I walked more 2 hours after I awoke from the surgery than I did in the previous month. The nursing staff actually had to yell at me and guide me back to my room. I was walking without pain, and by golly I was going to walk as much as I could.
Sorry for the long story, but if you are having pain while walking, it deserves to be looked at to diagnose exactly what is producing the pain in your body. Learn from my example and don't wait to have it checked out. I was lucky because my only lasting effect of waiting so long is a permanent numb spot on the top of my right foot. Good luck.
WB
wendyladi98
03-08-2006, 06:05 PM
Thanks for all your help! I have had several doctors blame any problem I had from irregular periods to aches and pains on my weight. I had one consider fibromyalgia. I am deffinitely going to try some alternate forms of excersise for a while. I always heard walking was more gentle on the system, but I can actually do harder aerobic workouts easier than sustained walking.
turtlegirl
03-19-2006, 03:59 AM
Wendy, I have the same exact situation as you. My BMI is 45, I'm 26, and my doctor has blamed irregular periods, back pain, etc on weight as well. But they offer no helpful suggestions on how to lose weight aside from "eat less, exercise more." Well if it was that easy, I'd have done it by now! :cool:
I can only stand/walk for 15 minutes without pain too. If I walk for more, I can do it, but it hurts. I went to the mall for a few hours with friends, and my back was throbbing by the end. Very terrible.
I was told that yoga and pilates can help out with back pain with my weight, so I'm going to do that. Also, I plan to stand up and do a full body stretch every hour when I'm at my computer. I think part of my problem is sitting too long. While I have very nice posture, I think this is a big cause of the back pain.
But I am planning on trying yoga to see if that will help. I'm going to get a dvd and not go to a class though. ;) I would be too stressed out to go to a class.
Anyway Wendy, I hope that you keep us informed about your back pain, and good luck with it! :D
I can only stand/walk for 15 minutes without pain too. If I walk for more, I can do it, but it hurts. I went to the mall for a few hours with friends, and my back was throbbing by the end. Very terrible.
I was told that yoga and pilates can help out with back pain with my weight, so I'm going to do that. Also, I plan to stand up and do a full body stretch every hour when I'm at my computer. I think part of my problem is sitting too long. While I have very nice posture, I think this is a big cause of the back pain.
But I am planning on trying yoga to see if that will help. I'm going to get a dvd and not go to a class though. ;) I would be too stressed out to go to a class.
Anyway Wendy, I hope that you keep us informed about your back pain, and good luck with it! :D
whackedback
03-20-2006, 09:44 AM
Wendy-
One other thing that might help would be to have your doctor write you a prescription for physical therapy. That was where after a few weeks of work my PT told me that my problems were not getting better, and surgery had to be performed.
I think one of the reasons that I did so well in surgery was because for 2 months prior, I was in PT and doing aqua (water) therapy. My lumbar muscles were stronger than they had been in a while, so I think it helped me recover more quickly after surgery.
wb
One other thing that might help would be to have your doctor write you a prescription for physical therapy. That was where after a few weeks of work my PT told me that my problems were not getting better, and surgery had to be performed.
I think one of the reasons that I did so well in surgery was because for 2 months prior, I was in PT and doing aqua (water) therapy. My lumbar muscles were stronger than they had been in a while, so I think it helped me recover more quickly after surgery.
wb
Szerek
04-06-2006, 11:42 PM
I had the exact same problem you had. My BMI when I started exercising was 54.2. I'm 5'10" and weight 378 lbs on 2/20/06. I couldn't walk more than 5 minutes without having excruciating lower back pain.
I couldn't even do a 30 minute workout with a tape or a Discovery heath show.
You have to realize at 5'10" and 378 lbs I wasn't exactly what you would call active, but my GI doc told me I was suffering from fatty liver and at 35 years old, if I didn't lose weight I probably wouldn't make it to 45. It was time to wake up.
I'm an avid gamer, that's what I did in my free time after work. So, to get my exercise in and NOT be bored I had to figure out a way to do that and lose the weight at the same time.
I accomplished this by buying a recumbant exercise bike. I sit back in almost a reclined position and I was still able to play my sports games on my Xbox. After about 4 weeks of biking while I played (1-3 hours a day of biking at a slow pace on a low resistance) I got a group of guys at work to start walking daily at lunch time. I'm able to easily walk 40 minutes now with no lower back pain. We do 2 miles a day in 30-40 minutes and I'm down 42 lbs since 2/20/06. I still bike at least an hour a day as well.
However, this rapid weight loss is causing nutritional problems which I'm going to see a nutritionist to get them resolved. I'm addicted to exercising now and hope to lose 163 lbs by August 12 and get to a weight which won't kill me. :)
It's also MUCH easier to find someone to do these things with you. Not only do they add support, but you don't want to skip a day because you are afraid of letting them down.
I couldn't even do a 30 minute workout with a tape or a Discovery heath show.
You have to realize at 5'10" and 378 lbs I wasn't exactly what you would call active, but my GI doc told me I was suffering from fatty liver and at 35 years old, if I didn't lose weight I probably wouldn't make it to 45. It was time to wake up.
I'm an avid gamer, that's what I did in my free time after work. So, to get my exercise in and NOT be bored I had to figure out a way to do that and lose the weight at the same time.
I accomplished this by buying a recumbant exercise bike. I sit back in almost a reclined position and I was still able to play my sports games on my Xbox. After about 4 weeks of biking while I played (1-3 hours a day of biking at a slow pace on a low resistance) I got a group of guys at work to start walking daily at lunch time. I'm able to easily walk 40 minutes now with no lower back pain. We do 2 miles a day in 30-40 minutes and I'm down 42 lbs since 2/20/06. I still bike at least an hour a day as well.
However, this rapid weight loss is causing nutritional problems which I'm going to see a nutritionist to get them resolved. I'm addicted to exercising now and hope to lose 163 lbs by August 12 and get to a weight which won't kill me. :)
It's also MUCH easier to find someone to do these things with you. Not only do they add support, but you don't want to skip a day because you are afraid of letting them down.
wendyladi98
04-19-2006, 01:48 AM
Hello, Just wanted to give you an update, while it is near impossible for me to go to the doctor as yet I should be getting to go this summer (long boring insurance story). Anyway, my BMI is down to 42.8 and am doing somewhat better on pain. I have increased toning excersises and that seems to be doing wonders for the weight and metabolism. I have about 17.5 pounds to go and I will officially be no longer morbidly obese. This is going to sound crazy but I discovered a temporary excersise that is helping both in pounds and inches. I "dance" while lying in bed. I noticed while I love to dance, that it seems to put too much stress on my hip and ankles but I can "shake my bon bon" and work on shakira's moves virtually pain free while lying down. I have been doing this for about a month and my upper abdomen appears flatter. Since I never had any pain at all until I crossed the 40 BMI mark that classifies morbid obesity, I am thinking that getting under that number will be telling as to if there is a major problem, or if it is simply weight related. BTW I am on south beach and have been since January.
Thanks for the imput! I love to hear from others. One aspect of this "disease" is you feel like no one has the same problems you do. It is refreshing to know there are others dealing with like problems.
Wendy.
Thanks for the imput! I love to hear from others. One aspect of this "disease" is you feel like no one has the same problems you do. It is refreshing to know there are others dealing with like problems.
Wendy.