How Losing Weight Can Benefit Chiropractic Patients
People visit chiropractic doctors for a variety of reasons, but one of the most common reasons is back pain. Back pain will affect eight in 10 Americans at some point in their lives. The causes can vary greatly, from accidental injury to overuse at work or in sports. Another major cause of back pain is obesity, which puts extra weight and pressure on the body. Carrying this weight is hard work and can cause pain all over the body.
Some people that experience back pain may not realize being overweight can cause it. It is not just the extra strain on your body that can hurt; it is also the way the immune and nervous systems can be negatively affected by obesity. When a person is overweight, they may not be getting enough of the vitamins and other nutrients they need which can cause dangerous deficiencies. In addition, people that are obese tend to not be as active as others, which put them at risk for weakened muscles and poor blood circulation.
All of these things are vital for chiropractic patients as the goal of spinal manipulation is to boost the immunity through chiropractic adjustments that align the spine and relieve nerve pressure. When a chiropractic patient is overweight, it may hinder their progress or could exacerbate problems further. Your chiropractor may be able to offer you advice on how to lose weight, which can include specific diet and exercise tips. In addition, they can work on finding any subluxations that could be causing weight loss to stall, such as pressure on the nerves leading to the endocrine system.
Being overweight or obese is not easy to overcome, especially if you have persistent back pain. For chiropractic patients, there is an extra incentive to lose weight as it will boost your immunity and help adjustments do their work. If you find that diet and exercise are not working, speak with your physician and chiropractor to see if there are any underlying issues that may be causing chronic weight gain.