Can a Tummy Tuck Relieve Back Pain?

Some people are asking whether a tummy tuck can relate the aches and pains from your lower back. Physicians have varying taking on this subject. Some say that to some degree, it can help tie pain, while others contest that both are not relatable.

What happens in a tummy tuck, or what is also known as abdominoplasty, is that your muscles which separate overtime (diastasis recti), are sutured together, which is a procedure called placation, resulting to a firmer abdomen. The excess skin on the other hand is stretched in order to create a smoother contour.

There are doctors who believe that the tightening of the muscles in your lower abdominal area help reposition them in a better anatomical position creating mechanical advantage.

According to Dr. Joseph Placik, the balance between the muscles in your stomach and your back affects the condition of your spell. Overtime, factors like obesity and pregnancy cause these muscles to separate. On the outside you may see this as a stubborn abdominal bulge or a “jelly belly.” The laxity that occurs in your abdomen creates an abnormal post due due to the improper distribution of weight. And with that, you start to experience lower back pains.

By bringing these muscles together and tightening them through abdominoplasty, the weight is better distributed creating in you a better core. As Dr. Brent Moelleken put it, it is like wearing an “internal corset” or a brace that supports this area permanently. He also adds that by having strong abdominal muscles you also prevent the incidence of lordosis (inward curvature of the spine) and low back pain.

Dr. Michael Diaz also supports this claim by saying that, “the tummy tuck centralize the stretched and displaced muscles.”

However there are also other doctors who say that there is no clear evidence to support this claim. Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian believes that it is difficult to predict on how a tummy tuck affect back pain since it is not a procedure addressed for that problem specifically. Dr. Steven Wallach also claims that, “… diastasis recti does not improve back pain.

There are also others like Dr. John P. Di Saia who say that it can either worsen or treat back pain. The initial days and even weeks after surgery can cause you to bend over due to relieve the pain while moving. However, this will improve overtime, but how it affects your back muscles can be unpredictable.

But what is most important to take note is that a back problem should not be a primary cause for getting a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty. If anything it is to remove stubborn abdominal bulge. And if it does improve your back problems, then that should be considered as a plus!