Would weight loss help my other physical problems, even though I have been told I may have to have back surgery for degenerative disc disease?
If you are overweight or obese, weight loss will help you in many ways, especially if you have back problems. Assuming you are overweight, let’s talk about how less weight should help you feel better.
- 1. Less weight will place less stress on the back, specifically the discs.
- 2. More weight means you will have a more difficult time moving, making it more difficult to lose weight.
- 3. It also makes it difficult to strengthen the abdominal muscles, which increases the stress on the back, and sit-ups may place more stress on the back. (You may need a trainer to show you how to use a ball to start strengthening the abdominal muscles.) Stretches to take the stress out of tight back muscles will also be more difficult.
- 4. Because fat tissue causes inflammation, this factor alone will increase the inflammation in your back and make it hurt more. Other muscles and joints will also hurt more.
- 5. Losing weight will make you feel better in a myriad of other ways–less blood pressure, more energy, less diabetes and insulin resistance,
My doctor says I can get all the vitamins and minerals I need from my food. What is your opinion on this?
I used to say the same thing to my patients, back in the days before I studied healthy alternatives. It is the party line of allopathic medicine, although that is starting to change. Here's the bottom line, and I'll follow up with some info on what allopaths are now doing:
2 responses so far ↓
1 Karen Pechin // Aug 5, 2010 at 4:35 pm
I’ve started the South Beach diet which, I think, is similiar to the Eat Clean ideas. I’ve lost 5 pounds in just 10 days. These are pounds I’ve tried to get off for years now! I already feel slimmer and more energetic.
2 Dr. Stan Gardner // Aug 7, 2010 at 4:24 pm
Karen, Good for you.
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