S has suffered with back pain for more than 5 years. She never had a specific injury. She just started noticing pain in her low back. She had gained around 50 pounds over the past 3 years due to stress eating, which she feels has increased her back pain. She also has a chronically upset stomach that seems to settle down when she eats which doesn’t help with managing her calories.

 

S started having bouts of severe debilitating back pain a year ago. They seem to just happen with no real triggering activity and would only resolve when she would lay down. Unfortunately, the more she laid down, the stiffer and weaker she became.

 

S finally went to her doctor because she wanted to lose some weight, and she couldn’t exercise. She could only walk 10 minutes before the pain would become so severe that she would have to sit down. She was worried that pushing through the pain would cause more problems.

 

When S saw her doctor, x-rays of her back were done which revealed that she had a spondylolisthesis. Her doctor explained that spondylolisthesis is a slippage of one vertebrae forward on the one below it. The doctor recommended that S see a physical therapist to get help for this kind of problem.  The therapist noted a postural problem with a significant sway back including tight hip muscles and very weak abdominal muscles. This posture contributes to increasing the shear and strain on the vertebrae that is slipping forward. She showed S several exercises that would help change these muscles imbalances and relieve the pressure off her back.

 

S had a tough time because her pain levels were so high. She had some relief from the pain immediately after she did her exercise, but then it would come back. She went back to see her doctor who recommended a special diet that would help her lose weight and settle her stomach pain. S was so tired of hurting that she followed the diet exactly as the doctor directed. She had to completely cut out all sugar and gluten from her diet.

 

Six months later, S was able to return to her physical therapist for an exercise progression. S told her therapist that she lost around 10 pounds, but more importantly, her pain levels went down by 50%. S felt like the drop in the pain occurred about a month after she got rid of the sugar and gluten before she even lost the weight. Now, when she does her exercise, she gets some relief that lasts. She can now tolerate walking up to 30 minutes, and she wanted to begin strength training at the gym.

 

Pain that is generated from mechanical back problems is heightened with systemic type problems. Stomach issues are a common culprit in increasing pain levels because of the high levels of inflammation that circulate throughout the body as well as difficulty in absorbing nutrients. Other types of problems that contribute to systemic inflammation include diabetes, thyroid conditions, lupus, and other autoimmune diseases. Improving your general health and nutrition makes a difference with back pain.