Verified By Apollo Orthopedician June 11, 2023
4815Is your weight the reason behind an occasional twinge of joint pain you experience when you climb stairs or go for a walk? It is not a commonly known fact. But, yes! overweight (a BMI of 25 to 29.9) or obese (BMI 30 or higher) raises the risk of arthritis, and in some cases, obesity makes arthritis worse.
And what may hurt you more than the day-in, day-out aches is how the joint pain affects your ability to perform daily activities like a weekly tennis game with a friend or playing tag with your niece. One simple step toward prevention of arthritisis to check your weight.
Before getting into how to maintain a healthy weight for healthy joints here is what you need to know about, how weight plays a part in causing Joint pains?
Carrying extra pounds on weight-bearing joints increase stress and could hasten the breakdown of bone-cushioning cartilage which causes your ligaments to become strained and, as a result, you find yourself in constant pain.
Did you know? “Every pound of excess weight exerts about 4 pounds of extra pressure on your knees”, which means a person who is 10 pounds overweight has 40 pounds of extra pressure on his knees.
That is why people who are obese are at higher risk of developing arthritis. And once a person has arthritis, the extra pounds cause even more problems on already damaged joints. But it’s not just the extra weight on joints that cause damage. The fat itself is active tissue that creates and releases chemicals which promotes inflammation. Hence maintaining a healthy weight is essential to keep arthritis at bay.
There are different approaches you can try to boost your overall joint health. It may take a couple of weeks for you to feel the change, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t notice the difference instantly.
Here are a few ways that can help bring you one step closer to a healthier and pain-free life.
Weight loss is a tough endeavor and may seem like an impossible task when you have sore joints, but no single action can provide as many positive effects on the body as weight loss. The sooner you get started, the sooner you will get to your target weight.
It is always advised to consult a rheumatologist regularly to keep a check on arthritis.
Book an online appointment with our best rheumatologists at Apollo Hospitals.
Our dedicated team of Orthopedicians who are engaged in treating simple to complex bone and joint conditions verify and provide medical review for all clinical content so that the information you receive is current, accurate and trustworthy