How To Stop Diabetes Back Pain in Vacaville

When diabetes in Vacaville is left untreated, it can wreak havoc on your body and the back is no exception. One review shows that people over the age of 18 who have been diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes have a 35% higher risk of experiencing lower back pain (LBP).

This condition is quite common. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have reported that 34.2 million people in the United States have diabetes in 2020.

Even though that diabetes is known for affecting the blood sugar (glucose) levels, the reality is that it is a disease that affects several body systems. Apart from just causing problems with blood sugar, it can also cause a state of chronic inflammation.

The connection between diabetes and back pain in Vacaville

There are a few issues linking diabetes and back pain that you may be unaware of. These include:

• Neuropathy: Diabetic neuropathy is nerve damage that happens when continuous high blood sugar levels damage the nerves, thus causing symptoms like numbness, pain, or tingling. This problem can affect 50% of people with diabetes and can lead to chronic back pain.
• Bone Health: Diabetes can cause all sorts of complications but compromising bone health is the least known. Having high glucose levels can damage the collagen that makes up the bone. This can lead to a greater risk of vertebral fractures in people with diabetes. Additionally, increased fracture risk in diabetics is compounded by impaired fracture healing.
• Obesity: This is known as the double-edged sword of diabetes. It can either be a factor that contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes or can also be a complication that results from poorly managed glucose levels. Regardless of which came first, obesity is a contributing factor to back pain since it puts extra load on the spine over time.

Other factors

Apart from the big contenders, poorly controlled diabetes can decrease muscle blood flow and can increase the chances of cartilage inflammation. It can also cause tissue damage like the degeneration of intervertebral discs and consequently spinal canal stenosis. Having any of these conditions can cause neck and low back pain.

Managing diabetes and back pain

The good news is that there are steps you can do to manage diabetes and back pain. Doing these things can ease pain and discomfort so make sure to do the following:

1. Get moving: The best thing about exercise is that it can improve diabetes and back pain. Exercise should not only be limited to people with diabetes, but it must be practiced by everyone because of how it benefits our overall health.
   • Living a sedentary lifestyle can worsen back pain over time, even though that may be your first inclination when you are hurting. It would help if you can do even something as simple as walking, stretching, or doing gentle laps in a pool since it can still improve your blood flow and even aid in weight loss.
2. Reduce stress: Getting rid of stress can help you live a longer life. This can also apply to managing back pain, which is important if you have diabetes. Having diabetes can take a toll on several systems of the body, including a few that contributes to back pain.
   • There are things that you can do in life to decompress and reduce stress such as:
     • Meditation
     • Therapy
     • Yoga
     • Listening to music or a relaxation tape.
3. Get rid of bad habits: It is no surprise that smoking is bad for the health and that it can contribute to back pain even more. Nicotine in cigarettes can temporarily alleviate your pain but over time, it can make the nerves more sensitive and can increase the pain.
   • Apart from smoking, drinking alcohol should also be eliminated if possible to further improve your back pain. Alcohol may numb the pain when you're currently consuming it, but it can cause muscle spasms and dehydration that can make the pain even worse. It may complicate things even further if you are taking pain medications.

At the end of the day, it would be best to check with your health care provider if you are suffering from diabetes or back pain. Absolute Integrative Physical Medicine can help you out with that so make sure to dial (707) 474-5688 to set up an appointment today.