Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Does sudden weight gain cause back spasms?

Hello everyone,

I just got back from my family doctor because I went to see about my nasty back spasms in the upper-middle of my back. The spasms only allow me to sleep 2 hours at a time, so for the past 3 days I only got about 2-4 hours of sleep per day. Spasms don't happen very often with me, so it's one pain I can't get used to.

My doctor thinks that this is because I put on 10 extra pounds over the last 30 days, but also because he believes I put on those extra pounds on a spine/posture that possibly can't handle the extra weight. I can agree that is makes alot of sense, but this is the first time I have ever heard of only extra 10 pounds causing back spasms. I'm 5'4"ish at 172 pounds today (with coat and shoes on, and a 1/4lb hamburger in belly lol).

So what do you think? Can a sudden 10 pounds (probably in the belly area) cause back spasms? The reason why I ask is because these spasms only occur when I lay down, and in my opinion that kind of contradicts the weight gain possiblilty of his (I think).

I got some flexeril to use to help me get some sleep now... it was either that or I take some benedryl to help me sleep. I was prepared to do either.

He recommends I buy a sit down "recumbent" stationary bicycle to lose a few pounds too. The kind that looks like it has a car seat with the pedals in front. He knows I don't eat a lot, but he also knows exercising my torso area does not come easy for me.

I used to be extremely skinny and never gain an ounce, btw. grrr. What happened to me? lol

Take care,
James.

Hi James
I think there could be something in what the Doctor says If the extra weight is on your stomach it affects the posture and puts a strain on the spine.As you know with our posture being as lovely as it is it dosent take much to cause spasams and pain.
I know if I carry a light bag for a short distance it causes pain in my middle spine. Also because of our wonderfull posture our centre of gravity is a few feet ahead of us so it dosent take much to affect us.

Kevin

pregnancy says yes. lol

Maybe the spasms are noticeable at night when relaxing because they are trying to relax. I notice this a lot. Kind of a rebellion thing...

really don't know about the weight causing the spasms? seems like a lot of other things would do that before weight gain, but what do i know?

however, when my upper back is like that, and i can only lay on my back due to SI problems, i lay on a gel icepac (like those sold by colpac) or the "peas" icepacs from CVS are another good choice (they stay colder longer than the gel colpacs. i wrap them in an old tshirt so not so cold. anyway, the cold helps the spasms. for me, something (i think tendons) get inflamed, and the inflamed tissue is made worse when i lay on it. but the ice pacs help a lot.

as for the exercise bike. even when my back or SI is bad, the recumbent bike is easy to do. i recommend it highly. the exercise can't hurt regardless. good for the body in general.

I'm sure you're right, Kevin, that your posture doesn't help the situation if you have a weight gain. The posture must be putting additional strain on your muscles and joints, tendons and ligaments etc. even without hanging some extra weight on there. I'm not surprised that carrying a light bag will add to your pain levels.

Yep i am in agreement that adding 10 pounds can add to the problem already that is there. Muscle spasms happen because your back doesn't want to move when your muscles wants it to move. Therefore your muscles start getting really tight and staying that way for a prolonged time causes the muscles to start miss-firing. They will try to relaz, but the the muscle says but wait.... I want to be tight because it is what i know best. And therefore you get this jerking of the muscle that needs to relax but keeps trying to get tight again.

The added 10 pounds is putting further stain on the muscles, which causes them to react. BUT I want to stress this. With out the weight gain you probably would have started having the muscle spasms anyway... The weight gain just sped the process up I think. I know some might disagree with me on this. I am not trying to be a fatalist or anything. I just know AS all too well. Our muscles stay tight, and we have to combat this with what little bit of stretches that we can do, depending on just how fused up we are. Ten pounds does not seem that signifigant unless your muscles were already in the hyper tensed state to begin with. Once the muscles are in the hyper tensed state it doesn't take much to trigger the spasms. I suspect that was the case with you.

As well as the NSD everyone here loves, I might would suggest finding some place local like a hotel, gym, or sports club and signing up to get into a heated swimming pool, or Whirlpool two or three times a week and doing some stretching exercises in water. This will help to keep those muscles relaxed. What i have done was go from pool exercises straight into a sauna afterwards, and relaxing the muscles with that rather hot experience. It seems to help me.

Hi James, I was actually put on the road to diagnosis by muscle spasms in my left torso (probably in the obliques). Every night I would be awakened, screaming in pain as the spasm lifted my body off the bed. It didn't matter if I was lying on the right or left side, the spasms in my left torso would lift me off the bed. I feel your pain, my dear. The doctor gave me prescription muscle relaxants that left me stoned until 1:00pm the day after I took the first dose (about 11:00pm). This was not a good thing as I left for work at 8:00am and was stoned for the first 4 hours I was there!

Anyway, it does make sense that the extra weight would add to the pressure on your spine and the muscles that support it. It's been proved that every extra 10lbs of weight adds 150lbs of load on your knees. If that's what it does to your knees, imagine what it does to the other areas of the body. Swimming or a recumbant bike are probably your best bets for getting this weight off, with the added bonus that your body will be better able to deal with the AS because you'll be using those muscles and joints.

As for, "I used to be extremely skinny and never gain an ounce, btw. grrr. What happened to me? lol"

My dear, you are experiencing a phenomenon that way more men than women experience. It's called: I could eat anything I wanted my whole life and never gain weight, and then I turned 40!
My other name for it is: Justice for all those women who watched you eating anything you wanted for 25 years and not gaining weight, while they gained weight just for looking at a picture of a cake!
The other name for it: Aging, my dear.

I think I shall now run from the room to avoid objects hurtling in my general direction.

Warm hugs,

just the opposite my dear kat! well put!

i was one of those fortunate to not gain weight, then i hit my mid 30s, the hormones changed, the insulin resistance got worse, and the middle weight barely budges. i don't worry about it too much, focus more on walking every day, and eating healthy. we need to do what we can but not beat ourselves up for what we can't.

Hey Sue,

"we need to do what we can but not beat ourselves up for what we can't."

Exactly!!! My sweetie is now trying to lose all the weight he gained last year due to the torn achilles incidents. Although he was put in a swimming cast, he was still quite limited in what he could do. Then there was the perforated colon incident that added to this. He now has about 60lbs to lose and has made a good start, but he was bemoaning the fact that as he gains muscle through his workouts, his weigh-ins won't be as accurate a guide as he'd like.

I told him what I'll tell anyone trying to lose weight through a combination of diet and exercise...don't listen to your scale exclusively. How your clothes fit is the best gauge of weight-loss. That clicked for him and he proceeded to show me how the brand new jeans that I bought him as part of his Christmas present are too big now!! By inches!!!!

Just a thought.

Warm hugs,