Researchers at the University of Southern California analyzed the outcome of 38 consecutive patients with low back pain who underwent bariatric surgery over a period of six months.
The study found that back pain in these patients decreased by an average of about 44 percent six months after surgery. The average amount of individual weight loss among the group of 30 women and eight men was about 85 pounds.
The study will be presented on April 29 during the annual meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons in Chicago.
"This study provides evidence that substantial weight reduction following bariatric surgery results in moderate reductions in pre-existing back pain within six months of weight loss. While this initial research is promising, larger long-term trials are needed to prove the efficacy of this treatment," lead author Dr. Paul Khoueir said in a prepared statement.
An estimated 75 to 85 percent of all Americans will experience back pain during their lifetime. According to recent statistics, more than one-third of U.S. adults - over 72 million people-were obese in 2005-2006. Of these, 33.3 percent were men and 35.3 percent were women. Especially alarming is that obesity has not decreased among teenagers. The rates remain essentially unchanged in 2005-2006 from the 2003-2004 estimates, at 17 percent.
