09 Mar Weight Loss Reduces Knee Pain
Got knee pain? Before you start reaching for that bottle of ibuprofen every day, consider this. Your knees bear most of the weight of your body. For every pound of body weight you gain, you add three pounds of pressure through your knee joints. So when I find that a patient’s knee pain is due to the development of osteoarthritis – the gradual “wear and tear” of the joint – the first issue I address is not medication options, but weight management.
It’s been found that body weight strongly correlates with joint pain. Clearly, being overweight will increase the load on weight-bearing joints such as the knee. The increased stress may hasten the breakdown of cartilage which cushions the joint.
Research reveals that women who are obese have nearly 4 times greater risk for knee osteoarthritis compared to women who are not obese. Obese men have nearly 5 times greater risk. If overweight individuals lose some weight, they can reduce their risk for knee osteoarthritis. Furthermore, studies suggest that weight loss can significantly decrease the knee pain associated with osteoarthritis.
Stay Fit! Be Happy!
Dr. Venus
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