TheBadBackGuy.net Understanding the 5 major factorscontributing to neck pain, back pain, and sciatica is crucial. In this video we discuss the 1st of the 5 factors Excess weight and obesity. We have talked about the 5 factors I feel are most responsible for neck pain, back pain, and sciatica. Of course there are others, like stress and stress-related and trauma-related events but most of those can be traced back to some sort of issue with the spine associated with one of the 5 contributory factors: 1) Excess weight and/or obesity 2) Muscle weakness (to include atrophy due to a sedentary lifestyle) 3) Muscle imbalances (perhaps the least understood of the 5 factors) 4) Inadequate diet and nutrition (a combination of the proper foods at the right times and in the right amounts) 5) Dehydration (or lack of proper hydration due to inadequate fluid intake) The 5 factors are, once again, not the only factors contributing to neck pain, back pain, and sciatica, but they are the ones that in my opinion set an individual up for: 1) Spine-related stress injuries 2) Being more susceptible to traumatic injuries to the spine 3) Being more susceptible to age-progressive phenomena (eg, degenerative disc disease) 4) And a myriad of other pathologies and injuries to the musculoskeletal system generally, and the spine specifically. Once the musculoskeletal system begins to weaken, there is a ripple effect throughout the body, both in terms of structure and function. As the body struggles to …