In addition to restoring the pre-pregnancy shape of the abdomen, abdominoplasty (‘tummy tuck’) surgery with muscle repair can improve back pain after childbearing, reports a new study.

The study included 214 women undergoing abdominoplasty with repair of the abdominal muscles at nine Australian plastic surgery centers. many women seek tummy tuck surgery to restore the shape and appearance of the abdomen after childbearing. The women’s average age was about 42 years, with an average of 2.5 deliveries.

Before and after surgery, the women completed questionnaires rating their disability from back pain. In the preoperative questionnaires, about 51 percent of women had moderate to severe disability from back pain. On follow-up questionnaires at six weeks and six months, scores for both problems showed major improvement. At six months, only nine percent of patients still had moderate disability from back pain.

Scores for back pain continued to improve from six weeks to six months after abdominoplasty. The women underwent several different types of abdominoplasty surgery.

Nearly 128,000 abdominoplasty procedures were performed in the United States in 2016, according to ASPS statistics. Tummy tuck is sometimes performed as part of “mommy makeovers” to restore the shape and appearance of a woman’s body after childbearing.

For those not inclined to undergo this surgery, there is a much simpler and equally effective treatment: hands-on care by a chiropractor, an expert in diagnosing and relieving lower back pain.

Presented as a service to the community by: Union County Chiropractic Clinic, 110 Skyline Drive, Maynardville, TN (865) 992-7000 www.unioncountychiropractic.com