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Hi

I broke my back (lower - L3 vertebrae) 6 years ago in a riding accident and unfortunately now experience pain to some degree every day. Sometimes it can be very mild and other times almost debilitating. I've seen a variety of doctors who all say that this is just something I will have to live with - even the spinal surgeon I saw when I first broke it said that this could be the case. I didn't have surgery, it was a stable fracture so unnecessary. I had physio at the time and I recently saw another doctor who has referred me for more.

I want to lose weight a) for myself and b) I feel this would help my back out a bit. I'm not entirely sedentary anyway moving around in the office, going out at weekends walking around and I also look after 8 horses every Saturday morning for a couple of hours including grooming, mucking out, etc. I also try to go to the gym 3 times a week for about an hour and a half at the time. I've had a pt session and have been given exercises to help build strength in my lower back.

Trouble is I seem to just go round in circles - I can exercise for a month or so then end up with back pain and have to take a couple of weeks off the exercising. One thing I cannot remember is whether I had so many issues with my back last year pointing at going to the gym being an issue or whether it is just that going to the gym and having to keep stopping makes me more aware of it.

I feel like I'm in a catch 22 situation as I want to lose the weight (admittedly I do need to look at my diet - willpower is not my strong point!) but feel I am getting thwarted at every attempt to increase my activity to help with this. Ironically the only thing that seems to help with my back pain is horse riding but I haven't done this for 2 years now mainly due to the lack of a horse, but also because of having the trust in a horse given what could happen if I fell again.

Has anyone else experienced similar issues? Did you find that exercise made it worse? If so what was your solution?

Thanks for any advice anyone can offer.

Rachael

If you feel your gyming is having an impact on your back, then stop it. Low impact excercises are recommended for people with chronic back pain.

Some of them are:
Walking
Yoga
Aerobics
Stationery cycling
Water therapy
Elliptical trainer or step machine
Tai chi

Well,I am here and read out all the reviews and i agree with your all reviews but according to me that all the exercises are so good for the health and fitness.In beginning difficult exercises causes of the back pain.Yoga,running,cycling,push ups and swimming are the best exercises for good fitness of the body.

Yes, you have to do light weight exercise like jogging, morning walk this will makes you healthy than more. There are lot of new exercise which have less stress on your back. you have to try these ones.

Weight problem occurs many type of problems, like back problem, heart problem, and many more. Exercise and proper diet keeps healthy and fit.

This may seem simple but what diet do you focus on?

Everyone needs a minimum number of calories to function daily which you can calculate yourself and also find out which suits you most based upon your macronutrient need. At least this can be a start.

Having said this, what is absolutely key is your "mind set" you can have all the information in the world but can you keep to a diet?

Exercise of course is a brilliant compliment to weight loss (and good health) as you can improve strength which improves BMR (basal metabollic rate) but if you are having physiological problems with exercise, then you go with what you can do first and walking is a start; I wonder whether you are accomplishing your 10,000 steps daily? You mentioned that you have gone to a PT, I would have thought their prescribed exercise would have helped if you mentioned you wanted to lose weight in addition to helping your lower back pain?

When assessing anyone to prescribe exercises to help with lower back pain there are many anatomical tests that are done first, then exercises are selected specifically to the individual (as everyone is unique).

If you have not, maybe an idea is to find an personal training instructor who is specialist in lower back pain, obesity and nutrition?

Alternatively, return to GP and seek their advice - if you are not losing weight and you are eating the right calories you require to lose weight, they may be able to help further.

Hi All

Thanks for your replies. Since I posted I have had physio. We discussed the pain, the exercise I am doing, general activities (as I mentioned in my first post I am not a sedentary person!) and got given the obligatory 'exercise sheet' for low back pain sufferers. All but one of the exercises I already do/did at the gym. We went into the physio's gym and she analysed again the exercise I was doing to check my technique, etc. All fine. She reconfirmed what my trainer had already said in that I shouldn't do exercise which jolts my back - so no jogging, jumping, etc.

The physio's verdict was that generally I am quite fit and have a good muscular power but given my injury that area of my skeleton just cannot keep up. After much questioning she did finally concede that it may have been going to the gym which has caused the degradation of my condition by way of doing too much - enough in terms of my muscular/general fitness but too much for my back.

Prior to starting the gym early in 2013 I was able to be on my feet all day, I even walked around the York city walls without experiencing pain. Now I only have to be on my feet a couple of hours at most before the pain starts.

Dieting is really about controlling the snacking for me - if I can control that, or have a sensible snack (like an apple), then my overall diet isn't hugely bad. It is the self control I need to work on! I've taken up knitting again and try to do other hobbies which are not conducive to allowing eating at the same time which helps!

Best wishes

Rachael

I have suffered from back as a teenager and I am now 50, it has progressively gone worse after the birth of my first child.
Currently I am obese 105.6kg, have always been very busty 38k. Therefore exercise now is difficult.
To do any form of exercise I have always worn more than 1 bra with tight tops. It affects my breathing but then I can do much more.
I have started walking but, I have to use pain relievers the next day .
Up to my late 30's I used to jog, do sit ups and press ups.
I want to weigh at least 80kg.