What’s a few extra pounds? Over time, they can add up to a number of health challenges from heart and pulmonary diseases and diabetes to back and joint pain. Excess poundage puts unnecessary stress on organs, like the heart, and on joints in the low back, hips, and knees. Over half (62 percent) of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, according to recent studies. That is a gigantic number and a big problem (no pun intended).

Excess weight, in the form of body fat, is hard on the structure of the human body. It was not designed for the added. Just an additional 20 or 30 pounds can literally overload the musculoskeletal system. For instance, in order to compensate (counterbalance) for weight in the belly, the pelvis tilts forward. This causes joints in the low back to compress. Joint compression constricts nerve function and creates 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 produce new arthritic changes in the spine, but can continue to irritate the degenerative changes that have already taken place over time.

Where does chiropractic care fit in? First of all, to be clear, a healthy body weight is a necessity in order for the musculoskeletal system to function optimally. That said, in addition, chiropractic treatment relieves nerve restrictions in the spine and helps to restore motion back into the joints of the musculoskeletal system, like in the low back, hips, and knees. And, exercise and physical activity is a lot easier when the spine is in alignment and the joints have healthy mobility. Exercise will not only help with weight loss, but it can actually slow down degenerative changes as a person ages.

It is always a good plan to visit a healthcare professional, like your chiropractor, to discuss diet and exercise. Along with helping men and women suffering from back pain and joint inflammation due to arthritis, chiropractors offer expert advice on the type of lifestyle changes that can help a person to stay healthier and more active through the years. Arthritis and immobility do not have to be a foregone conclusion of aging. The human body was designed for a lifetime of pain-free movement.

So, if you’ve been throwing your weight around and the result is back and joint pain, your chiropractor can help relieve your suffering. Make an appointment today!

Technorati Tags: arthritis, chiropractic, chiropractor, excess weight, weight loss

Tags: arthritis, chiropractic, chiropractor, excess weight, weight loss

This entry was posted on December 8, 2009 at 2:12 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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