You
duck into your car and rush to work: neck and back pain come
along for the ride. You sit at the computer all day: neck
and back pain sit right there with you. You drive home from
work: neck and back pain distract you all the way. You crawl
into bed for what you hope will be a good night's sleep: there's
neck and back pain again.
Why don't neck and back pain seem to go away? According to
a study published in the June 1, 2003 issue of Spine, neck
and back pain may be your constant companions because of something
else that's with you all the time: excess weight. Nearly 6,000
adult patients from three general practices completed a questionnaire
that asked about the existence and severity of spinal pain
(neck and/or back) in the previous month. Results showed that
nearly one in three (29 percent) reported pain, of which approximately
half was chronic, 40 percent was disabling, and 20 percent
was intense, chronic and disabling. An independent association
between neck and/or back pain and high body mass index (BMI)
was demonstrated, even when considering other potential influences.
Are back and neck pain weighing you down? Treating spinal
pain depends on the cause, which may or may not be those excess
pounds you're carrying around. But one thing's for certain:
Doctors of chiropractic are the experts when it comes to helping
patients get rid of those two annoying companions that can
make your life miserable.
Reference:
Webb R, Brammah T, Lunt M, et al. Prevalence and predictors
of intense, chronic, and disabling neck and back pain in the
UK general population. Spine, June 1, 2003:28(11),
pp1195-1202.
To locate a chiropractor near you, go to www.chiroweb.com/locator.
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