Joint Pain, Arthritis, and Obesity’s Role

Being overweight can cause a multitude of medical problems and one of the most common is joint pain.  Having excess weight can also cause arthritis, especially in the weight bearing joints, the hips, knees and ankles.  It should be a priority to maintain a healthy weight so you may avoid joint pain and arthritis.

Being overweight causes stress on the joints.  It can also reduce blood flow to the joint, and over time lead to arthritis and other kinds of medical conditions.  Joint pain is characterized by redness, swelling, pain, and sometimes heat.  These conditions are created from stress and damage to the joint.  Being over weight can cause excessive wear and tear on the joint.  This wear and tear can lead to some types of arthritis.  Joint pain can be a symptom of arthritis and should not be taken lightly.

research has shown that because of obesity one’s chance of having joint pain and arthritis is sixty percent higher than those who maintain a healthy body weight.  Hip and knee replacements have increased due to obesity.  The surgical procedures of knee and hip replacements were generally used for the elderly suffering from bone loss, injury, or some types of arthritis.  But due to the increase of obesity, they are performed more on overweight individuals than the elderly.  One study showed that 72 percent of hip and knee replacement surgeries on individuals between 18 and 50 were obese.

It is important to maintain a healthy body weight to protect and prevent the chance of joint pain and arthritis.  One study among women showed that by losing a mere 11 pounds can cut the chance of having osteoarthritis in the knee or hip, in half.  There are ways of losing extra pounds safely and effectively.  Diet and exercise are the best ways to improve your health, lose weight, and help maintain a good weight.

muscle and bone strengthening can be beneficial in preventing joint pain, provided your joints are in a healthy state already.  Some of these strengthening techniques can include weight lifting, aerobics, hiking, and swimming. But if they are not there are low impact exercises one can do to help relieve minor joint pain and promote healing of the joint.  These could include walking and  swimming, these do not jar the joints.

it is important for obese individuals to speak with a doctor before starting any exercise routine.  In some cases there are certain exercises more beneficial than others, plus some precautions should be taken in other health risks are a concern.  Funny as it may seem, proper footwear can be an essential factor when exercising, especially for individuals who are overweight.  Exercising without speaking with a health care professional can have an adverse effect and increase joint pain and arthritis.

Obesity can cause joint pain and arthritis.   You can help prevent these conditions by maintaining a proper body weight.  Not only will losing those extra pounds be beneficial for your joints, it will also help the rest of your body stay healthy.