Does that beer belly cause back pain? The truth may shock you

Does that beer belly cause back pain? The truth may shock you

If you're like most of us, you probably have some extra padding around your middle that you've been wanting to get rid of for a while. But did you know that extra weight can actually cause back pain and sciatica?

In fact, when most people go to the doctor for back pain, the first thing they're usually told is to lose some weight.

Extra weight can put additional pressure and stress on your back and spine. This causes your posture to deteriorate and weight to be distributed unevenly across your spine.

This causes the discs in your back to bulge and put pressure on the spinal nerves.

Alternatively, the extra weight may cause your muscles to strain to support you. This ultimately leads to muscle imbalances, which in turn causes stress and pressure from your body to become unbalanced.

So you probably know that you need to lose some weight, either because of back pain or other reasons, but what can you do about it? Especially if you suffer from sciatica and basic exercises seem almost impossible?

The easiest way is to adjust your diet. Drinking more water is a very simple thing and can help you with weight loss and back pain at the same time.

Water helps your liver function better. Your liver burns extra body fat, but when you're dehydrated, it actually shifts to support kidney function. Drinking eight glasses a day can improve liver function.

Not only that, but drinking plenty of water will help you feel fuller for longer. When your stomach is full of water, you won't get the hunger pangs that drive many of us to eat the foods we know we should avoid.

From a back pain perspective, water is the main component of your discs. Without proper hydration, these discs cannot stay filled with fluid and help adequately cushion the vertebrae. By drinking your water, you can ensure that your discs are healthy and have the hydration they need.

Another important dietary consideration is that many foods that cause weight gain and obesity are also linked to inflammation. Inflammation around the soft tissues of the back and nerves can lead to back pain or sciatica.

These foods that cause inflammation include foods high in saturated fats and trans fats, as well as foods with a high glycemic index. Common examples of these foods include cakes, pastries, fried foods, red meat, and other things we commonly associate with fast food.

You also want to try eating more foods that fight inflammation. These foods are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and antioxidants. You can find these in foods like salmon, berries, organic eggs and other fruits. Many of these foods not only help reduce your inflammation and ease back pain, but they also help you lose that pound.

Inspired by Leroy Lombard