West Orange
(973) 324-9455
Do you experience chronic lower back pain? Has conservative physical therapy been ineffective in relieving your pain? It may be time to consider a different approach. While it might come as a surprise, abdominoplasty (or a tummy tuck) is becoming increasingly recognized as an effective treatment in select patients who experience continued lower back pain. No longer is a tummy tuck strictly a cosmetic procedure; it’s also a functional one.
Why Abdominoplasty is an Effective Treatment
Recent studies have found that a tummy tuck procedure actually works to stabilize your spine by tightening your lateral abdominal muscles, thus increasing the pressure inside your abdomen. Abdominoplasty also helps your abdominal muscles become more efficient in stabilizing your spine.
How Does Abdominoplasty Treat Back Pain?
A tummy tuck tightens the sheet of connective tissue beneath your skin that attaches muscles and other internal organs (also known as the fascia.) When the fascia is tightened, you essentially gain a permanent back brace, sort of like an “internal corset”. This effect helps to improve your posture and alleviate back pain after the surgical procedure.
Recent Findings
In a study presented by Toranto, a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist who was the first to promote abdominoplasty as a tool to alleviate lower back pain, 24 of 25 patients who were treated for pain via a tummy tuck reported pain relief when he focused on their abdomen instead of their back. And in a recent study of eight female patients with long-lasting back pain, abdominoplasty was just what they needed to alleviate their prolonged back pain.
While these studies involved a small group, the fact that they all experience long-term relief from their back pain via abdominoplasty should not be discounted. In fact, a tummy tuck should be considered a viable option for patients who have weak lower abdominal muscles and chronic lower back pain. Especially when conservative methods have failed.
Please click here to view before and after images of an Abdominoplasty procedure. For more information about the positive effects of Abdominoplasty for treating chronic back pain, contact Dr. Lalla today at 973-324-9455.
