A recent study conducted by researchers at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine has found that individuals who are overweight or obese face a higher risk of developing low back pain (LBP) compared to those with a normal body mass index (BMI).
The research team analyzed medical records from over 110,000 adult patients who visited an urban teaching hospital for outpatient care within one year. The analysis included data on age, sex at birth, height, weight, BMI, and whether the patient reported low back pain during their visit.
The study revealed that as weight increased from a healthy BMI of 18 (about 90 pounds) up to an obese BMI of 35 (about 240 pounds), the prevalence of low back pain also rose. For BMIs beyond 35, the rate of low back pain did not continue to increase but remained steady. Within the BMI range of 18-35, each unit increase in BMI—equivalent to roughly ten pounds—was associated with a seven percent rise in the prevalence of low back pain.
Although not every individual with a higher BMI will develop back pain, the researchers observed a clear association between increased weight and greater risk. "Our study strongly suggest that maintaining a healthy weight or BMI is likely helpful at avoiding low back pain," said Perloff, director of pain medicine at Boston Medical Center.
These findings have been published online in Pain Medicine.
