Compounded problem: chronic low back pain and overweight in adult females.

Overweight adult females may have negative self-concepts and body images compounded by chronic low back pain and obesity. This subgroup of clients need special attention and nursing interventions to adjust to chronic low back pain and to achieve permanent weight control. Interventions designed to improve female clients' self-concepts and body images also support their efforts toward weight control, and, in turn, improve their negative perceptions of chronic pain. Orthopaedic nurses are in an excellent position to explore the relationships among body image, overweight, and chronic low back pain.