Impact of Obesity on Joint Pain

Being overweight or obese can cause you to have more aches and pains than a normal-weight person would have. But are you aware that being overweight or obese has the potential to permanently damage your joints? Sore knees, hips, and back are definitely more common in obese individuals, and tend to get worse with age and increased weight gain. Unfortunately, the more pain an individual is feeling, the less likely he or she may be to do those things necessary to lose the extra weight, thus setting them up for a cycle of weight gain and increased pain over the years. If you’re noticing sore knees, swollen ankles, or tight hips, it’s possible that you may be suffering from osteoarthritis. Being overweight or obese increases the likelihood of an individual getting arthritis from 1 in 5 to 1 in 3. 

Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage that protects the ends of your bones starts to wear away. Arthritis is caused by normal aging, and can be made much worse when combined with obesity. As an individual gains weight, the load on joints is increased by a factor of 3. This means that, for every extra 20 pounds of weight a person is carrying, an extra 60 pounds of pressure is put on their joints! The reverse of this is fortunately true as well - even a loss of 20 pounds means 60 pounds less stress on those sore joints. 

Obesity is also very hard on your back, especially in cases where most of the excess weight is carried in the belly. The forward pressure causes compression in the spine, disc damage, and eventually can lead to back pain. Another issue with excess belly fat is that it is typically associated with weak abdominal muscles. Weak abdominals start a chain of events that causes other muscle groups to take up the slack, leading to decreased flexibility and mobility, which also leads to more back pain. 

Common signs of osteoarthritis are joint pain, swelling, tenderness, stiffness and noise when the joint is flexed. While arthritis typically can’t be cured, there are a number of treatments and therapies designed to manage the symptoms and improve function. If a patient is overweight, weight loss is almost certain to be recommended. This can be accomplished through dietary restriction combined with increased activity through exercise. Be sure to consult your physician before starting any exercise program.

 For more information, please contact us at http://robinwoodortho.com/.