The rate and frequency at which knee osteoarthritis occurs are growing, most likely due to population ageing and the increasing critical risk factor- obesity. People over 60, the age group commonly linked with osteoarthritis, is growing globally. Although the frequency of obesity is increasing in this older population, it is the climbing rate of obesity among men and women aged 40-60 years who are at the centre of the age demographic growth and are the primary contributors to the developing osteoarthritis population.
Arthritis is the most common kind of arthritis and the leading cause of disability globally. Globally, 18% of women and 9.6% of men over the age of 60 have symptomatic Arthritis, with a quarter unable to perform ordinary daily tasks. A predicted 130 million people will have Arthritis by 2050, posing a substantial socioeconomic burden. This increases the number of people who will need a knee replacement.
Being overweight increases your chance of getting osteoarthritis- the most common joint disorder, which is due to wear and tear on a joint- in two ways. For starters, extra weight places additional strain on weight-bearing joints the knee and back. Second, inflammatory processes linked to weight increase may lead to pain in other joints like the hands.
Relationship between Weight and Knees
Let’s take a look at your weight and your knees ad what increases the risk of knee joint pain treatment. When you walk on level ground, the strain on your knees is 1½ times your body weight. With each stride, a 90 kg person puts 135 kg of strain on their knees. When you add an inclination, the strain on each knee is two to three times your body weight while going up and down stairs, and four to five times your body weight when squatting to tie a shoelace or pick up something you dropped.
According to obesity doctors, a few kgs lost can go a long way toward relieving knee joint pain and protecting them and can avoid you needing knee joint pain treatment. For example, studies have shown that in obese young adults, a sustained 4-5 kg weight loss can translate to a considerably decreased risk of osteoarthritis as well as knee replacement later in life.
Overweight persons can lessen the stress on their knee joints- and the chances of requiring knee joint pain treatment- by 1.81 kg for every 0.45 kg they lose. That implies that if you drop 4.54 kg, your knees will have to sustain 18.14 kg less weight each stride. Less knee strain leads to less wear and tear and a lower chance of osteoarthritis (OA).
Weight loss is currently recommended as a technique for controlling knee joint pain. This includes obesity surgery– one of the most effective methods of long-term weight loss.
Losing 5% or more of your body weight, according to the American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation and their expert obesity doctors, can improve both knee function and treatment results.
Symptoms like pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of motion often worsen over time.
Relationship between Weight and Back
It is most likely not a coincidence that persons who are overweight also have back pain. According to obesity doctors, being overweight is a major cause of back pain, particularly in the lower back. With the majority of people being overweight, it is no mystery that back pain is becoming an epidemic. The good news is that back pain can be treated and in some cases, cured.
Consider this: greater weight equals extra stress on the spine and joints. The extra weight in the belly can cause the spine to tilt and become unequal. More issues frequently follow when the spine is not in a neutral posture. Overcompensation of the back muscles contributes to the development of lower back pain.
Obesity is not just a source of low back pain, but it can also aggravate pre-existing musculoskeletal issues. Excess weight can aggravate and accelerate the possibility and frequency of herniated discs and osteoarthritis in persons who already have them. Adipose (fat) tissue promotes chronic inflammation, which can lead to soft tissue deterioration.
Obesity has an impact not just on musculoskeletal health, but also on treatment success. Obese people who have surgery to treat a spine problem had worse surgical results and a greater risk of complications. This is increasingly true for a skeletal structure where getting joint replacement surgery is very difficult and oftentimes risky.
OTHER COMMON FACTORS
Inflammation reduction in the body
Arthritis has long been thought to be a wear-and-tear condition. Excessive pressure on the joints for an extended period of time will result in inflammation.
Recent research, however, reveals that inflammation may be a risk factor rather than a result. Obesity can raise inflammatory levels in the body, causing back and knee joint pain. This inflammatory reaction can be reduced by losing weight. One review from Bianchi VE examined data for persons who lost an average of 0.91 kg every month over a period of 3 months to 2 years.
The end result of the study stood like this:
In obese and overweight people, weight loss gained with an effort by either an energy-restricted diet or surgery is a deciding factor in the reduction of inflammation markers. A hypocaloric diet has an anti-swelling effect that can play an extremely important role in the prevention of long-lasting sicknesses.
This means, in most trials, inflammatory markers in their bodies decreased dramatically.
Relationship with metabolic syndrome
Scientists have discovered connections between Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease.
All of these disorders are part of a group known as metabolic syndrome. They all appear to entail significant levels of inflammation and may interact with one another.
There is mounting evidence that Arthritis is a component of metabolic syndrome.
Following a risk-lowering diet that slows the course of metabolic syndrome may also assist with Arthritis.
This involves eating fresh, nutrient-dense meals with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants and other nutrients, foods high in fibre, such as whole meals and plant-based foods, Olive oil and other healthful oils.
While there is no organ in your body that benefits from obesity, this can be severely damaging to joints in particular. The knees and back are some of the most affected areas. Here’s a short list of some of the many benefits of weight loss on your knees and back.
- Reduce the strain on your joints.
As we discussed earlier, a little bit goes a long way. Reducing even the smallest amount of weight has a major effect on your joints.
- Reduce discomfort.
Several studies have found that decreasing weight helps with arthritis pain alleviation. A 2018 research published in Arthritis Care and Research went on to discover that, to some extent, lowering weight leads to higher pain reduction. The research on overweight and obese older persons with knee joint pain discovered that losing more weight resulted in better results than dropping less weight.
- Reduce Disease Activity.
Losing weight might help to lessen the severity of your painful joint swelling. A 2018 study published in the International Journal of Clinical Rheumatology- medical care for joint and back pain- reviewed the records of 171 Rheumatoid Arthritis patients and discovered that overweight or obese people who lost at least 5 kg were three times as likely as those who did not lose weight to have improved disease activity.
A smaller 2019 research published in Arthritis Research & Therapy discovered that short-term weight loss caused “substantial favourable benefits” on disease activity in joints, entheses, and skin in obese persons with Arthritis.
- Improve Chance of Remission.
Obesity affects your chances of obtaining minimum disease activity or remission in cases of arthritis, according to several pieces of research. A 2017 review report published in Arthritis Care and Research meticulously examined data from over 3,000 people with RA and discovered that obese patients had a poorer chance of achieving and maintaining remission than non-obese people. A 2018 paper in the journal Joint, Bone, Spine thoroughly examined multiple trials totalling over 3,800 patient records. The authors discovered that being highly overweight “interfered with/slowed down the effects of anti-TNF (tumour necrosis factor) medications,” and that the odds of achieving a good response or remission were lower in very overweight individuals receiving anti-TNF drugs than in non-obese patients.
CONCLUSION
Being overweight, obesity, and Arthritis are all linked. A high body weight or BMI can place additional strain on your knees, increasing the risk of injury and discomfort.
If you have obesity with Arthritis, your doctor may advise you to lose 10% of your body weight and aim for a BMI of 18.5-25. This may help to alleviate knee and back pain and keep joint damage from worsening.
Losing weight can also help you manage other illnesses associated with metabolic syndromes, such as:
- High blood pressure due to type 2 diabetes (hypertension)
- cardiovascular disease
- Your healthcare physician can assist you in developing a weight-loss strategy.
Taking the appropriate precautions to manage your weight can aid in the protection of your knees. Always remember to ask one of our experts if you have any queries related to joint pain. Remember, we are only a phone call away. With Ansh Obecure by your side, never worry about obesity-related issues ever again.
At the End of Blog Read More- What Are The Different Types Of Weight Loss Surgeries?
