Holiday Fat, Cervical Spondylosis, and Avoiding Back Pain in the First Place

Gaining weight will hurt your back. Putting on pounds during the holidays will likely turn into back pain. A whopping 60% of people surveyed said that it takes them 10 months to lose the weight they put on during the holidays. Nearly 13% of people surveyed said they simply give up on losing the weight after February. Most people can't lose the holiday fat until the next fall, which they then immediately put it back on as the holiday season starts again. This offers little relief from the strain put on the back from weight gain.

As the spine struggles to carry the extra weight, it can become overworked. When you are carrying around extra pounds it increases the chance of back injury. If you do injure you back, it will make it much more difficult to lose that holiday weight, which is a bad cycle that feeds back into the chronic back pain. Physician's know that being overweight can lead to compression fractures, degenerative disc disease, and spondylolisthesis.

Spinal Arthritis

Spondylosis is arhtritis of the spine. Spondylosis accounts for a huge number of hospital visits each year. Spondylosis is a degenerative condition of the spine and can hurt the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions of the back.

The form of spondylosis that affects the spine's facet joints is called osteoarthritis. Spondylosis (spinal osteoarthritis) is a degenerative disorder that may cause loss of normal spinal structure and function.

Spondylosis can be seen on MRI scans of the spine as a narrowing of the normal disc space between adjacent vertebrae.

Cervical arthritis is another name for cervical spondylosis. The main symptom of cervical spondylosis is progressive neck pain. With cervical spondylosis, the spinal canal may narrow causing compression of the spinal cord and nerves to the arms.

Bed rest wearing a neck traction may be needed if your pain from cervical spondylosis is really bad. Cervical epidural block might be beneficial in cervical spondylosis, especially if an inflammatory component is present.

Cervical spondylosis is also treated with anti-inflammatory drugs. Manual therapy (massage, mobilization, manipulation) may provide further relief for patients with cervical spondylosis.

Avoid Back Pain in the First Place

You may be able to avoid back pain by improving your physical condition and learning and practicing proper body mechanics.

Keep your back strong:

Exercise. Aerobic exercises will increase muscle strength in your back and allow those muscles to function better.

Walking is an exercise that might help, swimming is even better. Consult with your doctor about what activities work best for you.

Increase flexibility and build muscle strenth. Weak abdominal muscles are one of the leading causes of back pain, so work those abs. Increasing flexibility in your upper legs and hips helps align your pelvic bone and will make your back feel better.

Start dieting. Being overweight strains your back muscles. By losing weight, you will prevent future back pain.

Watch your posture:

Use good posture when standing by maintaining a neutral pelvic position.

Use a good posture when sitting by having a chair with lower back support. You may need to place a rolled up towel in the small of your back to maintain your back's normal curve.

Maintain good posture when lifting by bending at the knees. Hold the load as close to your body as possible. Get someone to help you if the load is too heavy.

Sleep correctly. Get a firm mattress. Use a cervical neck pillow.