Can a tummy tuck help relieve chronic low back pain?

Although it is conceivable that a tummy tuck may improve the ability to strengthen the abdominal musculature, chronic back and hip pain should be addressed by a neuro or orthopedic surgeon. If your previous PT did not include warm water therapy, you might consider exercising in a pool so that the buoyancy of the water takes stress off the joints. At the same time, swimming and other aquatic exercises can strengthen back and core muscles.

Thank you for sharing your question and photograph. Unfortunately I would not expect your low back pain to improve with a tummy tuck.  Back pain is often multifactorial and should be examined by a back specialist.  Hope this helps.

Dear Fabulous5851,
it is hard to tell for sure without an examination but it is unlikely that your spine issues will be resolved after tummy tuck. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD

I'm sorry, but in your case, TT seems not to be a solution for back pain. This procedure is a relief for pain only for patients who have bad posture or problems after pregnancy, among others. Abdominoplasty makes the abdomen flatter and more toned, it is an aesthetic procedure, and relief of pain is secondary. Consult a back pain specialist. Good Luck.

Generally, back pain is a muscle-skeletal/arthritis problem. It's not  likely that a TT will relieve it. See a PS  for an evaluation .

I'm sorry to hear of your unrelieved back pain.  It is unlikely that a tummy tuck will improve your back pain, especially if you have tried targeted treatments to relieve it and were unsuccessful.

Lower back pain has many possible causes. These often involve the spine with osteoarthritis affecting the joints between the spine vertebrae bones and/or degenerative disc disease of the cartilage between the bones of the vertebrae. Another common cause is bulging or actual herniation of the cartilage discs causing compression against the nerves exiting the spine. Sometimes chronic back pain requires surgery to correct the underlying problem. 
In cases of  pregnancy and obesity the core muscles of the lower trunk, particularly the abdominal muscles, become stretched, de-conditioned and often shift and spread out away rom their normal position parallel to each other in the midline of the tummy. The separation of the set of two long muscles is called a diastasis and leaves a wider gap which is weaker between the two rectus abdominus muscles. The result is weakening of the support from the front side of the lower trunk given by the tummy muscles when the internal organs bulge forward in the direction of the stretched and weakened tummy muscles.  The lower spine also tends to curve in the same forward direction increasing the curve and strain on it and all of the lower back muscles. This can can cause continuous aching or even frank pain.
Imagine wearing a belt tightened firmly around the lower trunk forcing your tummy inwards and the lower back to straighten from the increased support of the tummy muscles and the increased pressure inside the abdominal cavity pushing against the lower back area. This relieves pressure on the spine and acts as a splint or old fashioned corsette girdle. Tummy tuck involves the tightening of the stretched out and spread apart tummy muscles from pregnancy and weight gain. Tightening of the muscles can often improve and sometimes relieve chronic lower back pain. The weight of overhanging  skin and fat called a panniculus/pannus is seldom the main cause of back pain and its removal alone is unlikely to improve the pain except for possibly extreme cases. In almost all instances of lower back pain, the conditioning with regular core exercises of the muscles of the tummy, sides and back will  at least help to varying degrees with the majority of back pain. Tummy tuck can be a good start for the right candidate. 

Thanks for writing,Sorry to hear of your problems. I have had a few patients benefit from tummy tuck with low back pain. However in each of the cases the pannus / belly was huge, the largest one was 64 pounds, the smallest that benefited was 10-12 pounds. In your case I highly doubt you would benefit, with all your previous surgeries it seems the issue is in your back. Low back surgeries, do have a high incidence of failure. I would seek out a few Neuro-Surgeons who do back surgery and see if they can offer you anything that is reasonable which might help. Good luckStephen M. Davis, MD, FACS
Certified: American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member: American Society for Aesthetics Plastic Surgery
Member: American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Member:RealSelf Hall of Fame 
VERIFIED: Plastic Surgeon

I am sorry to hear about the pain you are experiencing.  Based on your description, I would encourage you to have the anatomic concerns of your spine addressed by spine specialists (again), prior to considering tummy tuck surgery.  Do not assume that tummy tuck surgery alone will suffice.
 Generally speaking, the tummy tuck operation involves plication (re approximation) of the abdominal wall muscles that have spread with pregnancy and/or weight gain/loss. This reconstruction likely strengthens the core and MAY help with issues such as lower back discomfort (again assuming there are no other anatomic causes of the lower back pain). 
 Again, I would caution you however not to assume that your lower back pain will be resolved after tummy tuck surgery.
Best wishes.

Hi Fabulous. A tummy tuck risks worsening your back pain because of the bent posture it would force on you for two or three weeks. Be careful and best of luck.