Can Weight Loss Help Knee Pain?
There is a correlation between knee pain and weight loss, and there is evidence of this. Knee pain often occurs due to excessive weight gain. Consequently, many people find weight loss to be a means of getting relief from knee pain. Obesity is a common struggle among Americans, and losing weight is one of the main ways to reduce knee pain and the risk of osteoarthritis.
When you put on extra weight, the pressure of the extra weight goes to your knees, which leads to chronic knee pain. Other health issues can emerge, such as excessive inflammation and osteoarthritis. To learn more about knee pain and weight loss, read further below.
Impact of Being Overweight on Joints
There are many reasons why doctors and loved ones may constantly reinstate the importance of maintaining a healthy weight. While all this talk about weight loss may sound like a broken record, there are many health benefits linked to losing weight, and one of them is that it reduces pressure on the knees. Mentioned below are a few ways being overweight impacts the joints:
Increases Inflammation in the Body
As mentioned earlier, when you put on extra weight, the pressure goes to your knees and causes issues like inflammation and osteoarthritis. When the pressure consistently wears down the knee, inflammation occurs. Inflammation is more of a risk than a consequence as obesity may increase the levels of inflammation in some parts of the body. Whenever it does, it leads to joint pain. Hence, losing weight can definitely help reduce inflammation and that feeling of discomfort.
Puts Extra Pressure on the Knees
Every pound you reduce means less pressure on your knees. So gradually, when you’re overweight, you exert a lot of pressure on your joints, which can lead to excessive knee pain. This also increases your chances of suffering from osteoarthritis. By losing 5 percent or more bodyweight, your knees can function better, as stated by the American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation.
Increases Chances of Metabolic Syndrome
Many scientists have found significant links between being overweight and experiencing other health issues. Health issues such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and many other conditions are jointly known as metabolic syndrome. These complications contribute to higher inflammation levels. Plenty of research suggests strong links between osteoarthritis and metabolic syndrome. The best way to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome is to keep a strict lookout on your diet. This means consuming more greens and fiber-rich foods while avoiding sugary and processed items.
May Increase Complications in Joint Replacement Surgery
According to many studies, there is a higher risk of a surgical site infection when overweight. Patients who are overweight have to be under anesthesia for a longer time and recovery takes a lot of time as well.
Will Losing Weight Help Knee Pain
Yes, research indicates that losing weight has a very positive effect on knee pain, and gradually helps reduce pain. Knee pain increases the chances of arthritis, and weight loss can help prevent this. Mentioned below are a few ways losing weight helps with knee pain:
Helps Reduce All Pressure on Joints
Overweight patients who struggle with osteoarthritis usually face joint pain, and the more weight you gain, the more pressure your knee faces. It’s commonsense to understand how doing the opposite of this, which is losing weight, will help reduce the pressure on your knee and all the other risks associated with it, including osteoarthritis.
Reduced Inflammation
Inflammation is one of the main symptoms that occur when you’re overweight and experience knee pain. When your body has extra fat, it releases more pro-inflammatory chemicals. Hence, reducing fat reduces inflammation levels throughout the body. Excessive inflammation can aggravate autoimmune disorders such as osteoarthritis and many heart diseases. Hence, losing weight is the best way to prevent excessive inflammation and other side effects that linger around.
Reduces Pain
You will experience greater pain relief once you start reducing weight. When you start losing weight, you will gradually notice a reduction in pain. This, in turn, allows you to enjoy a better quality of life, even if it means just reducing 5 percent of your body weight.
Less Disease Activity
The severity of Osteoarthritis gradually decreases once you start losing weight. There are many side effects linked to osteoarthritis, and experiencing this along with knee pain is something unimaginable. Hence, there are fewer chances of disease transmission and side-effects with weight loss.
How to Treat Knee Pain Caused by Being Overweight?
The good news is that you can treat knee pain; especially when it’s because you’re overweight. One of the best ways to treat knee pain would be by losing weight, but at the moment, there are a few things you can start doing to reduce the pain. For the treatments to work, you have to be consistent to see actual results. It’s not easy remaining consistent, but the moment you start experiencing less knee pain, you will feel much better. Mentioned below are a few ways you can treat knee pain that occurs when you’re overweight:
Attain Massage Therapy
If the pain is unbearable and you want to get some comfort instantly, you can rely on massage therapy as a treatment. Regular massage therapy improves the movement in your joints and helps ease the pain. While this applies to knee injuries, the pain starts to get better, even if it’s because of obesity.
Maintain a Healthy Diet
Clean eating is one of the best ways to treat knee pain when you’re overweight. Sure, it sounds a little difficult when you love food, but it’s an important form of treatment. You will have to start incorporating more greens and high-fiber foods and let go of foods with high sugar content. One of the best ways to maintain a healthy diet, especially when you know you can go off track, is by maintaining a registry.
In this, you can lay out your weight loss plan and keep track of your calories. It would be best if you do this and take help from a professional dietitian for quicker results. Once you start reducing calories, you’ll start shedding pounds and this will help alleviate your knee pain.
Home Remedies
Various home remedies can help reduce knee pain, many of which include the use of different ingredients lying around your house. One of the first home remedies you could try out is ginger, as it helps alleviate knee pain, especially when it’s due to being overweight. All you need to do is crush a small piece of fresh ginger and add it to a cup of boiled water. Strain the water and add a dash of lemon juice and honey. Drink this regularly, with at least three cups a day, for quick knee pain relief.
You can also apply lemon juice to your knee as this works as a proper solvent for uric acid crystals. All you need to do is dip a piece of cloth in lemon and sesame oil and apply it to your knee for 10 minutes. Besides lemon, turmeric and cayenne pepper are two great ingredients for remedies that help with knee pain.
Exercise
Another way to treat knee pain when struggling with weight loss is through exercise. Exercising regularly helps you lose weight, and in turn, reduces the pressure on your knees. There are different exercises you can perform, but you have to be consistent with them.
Exercise for Weight Loss That won’t Impact the Knee
As mentioned above earlier, exercise is a good form of treatment when it comes to losing weight and knee pain. Exercise is an effective and healthy way of reducing knee pain, but it’s important that you know which exercises to try.
It is best to get a hold of a professional trainer who can help you with the right knee exercises to cure knee pain instead of making it worse. If you’re worried about worsening your knee pain with a few exercises, don’t worry. Mentioned below are a few exercises that won’t impact your knees. This way, you will know what exercises you can safely perform to prevent worsening your knee pain, and which ones to avoid since it’s not helping your knees.
- Water Aerobics
- Walking
- Biking
- Strength Training
- High intensity training
- Tai Chi
- Yoga
- Swimming
These exercises can help you reduce weight, which means less pressure on the knees, and help with knee pain as well. So try engaging in these exercises daily, and try getting help from a professional.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, with the help of this article, you can now better understand the connection between knee pain and weight loss. If you’re struggling with knee pain because of being overweight, make use of this article and follow a few of the treatment tips mentioned above. With time, you will notice a major change in your standard of living once you start losing weight and reduce knee pain.
If you’d like to learn more about options to help with knee pain then learn more here. There are many causes of knee pain and we just may be able to help you have less knee pain and enjoy life more. Click here to learn more.