Healthcare Professionals: Tips To Improve Your Arthritis Patients Health
- Enroll in proven programs. Adults living with joint pain can benefit from joining CDC-recognized self-management education classes, which are designed to teach people with arthritis and other chronic conditions how to control their symptoms , live well with these conditions, and learn more about how to manage health problems that affect their lives.
Excess Weight Harms Many Body Parts
In addition to the benefits to knee arthritis found in this study, losing weight has been found to be helpful for overall health, as well as for many body parts.
A report published by the National Institutes of Health described how weight loss leads to decreased blood pressure, fewer unhealthy blood fats, more good cholesterol, and better balance for blood sugar levels, among other things.
The only downside of the weight loss found in this study was a slight reduction in bone-mineral-density a finding the authors suggest is more than outweighed by the boost in lifestyle and reduction in pain.
Dropping Weight Slowly Is Important
Participants in this study lost their weight over an 18-month period. Because this was a reanalysis of the authorsprevious study, published in September 2013 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which examined whether diet, diet plus exercise, or just exercise resulted in the most weight loss , participants lost the weight in a variety of ways.
Still, a program that combines the right diet plan and appropriate exercise along with learning tools to change ingrained behaviors is best for any significant weight loss effort, according to the NIH report. Medication and even weight loss surgery should also be considered for some people, the NIH says.
Losing weight slowly is best for the body. The NIH suggests that a reasonable time line is six months to drop 10 percent. Decreasing what you eat by 300 to 500 calories a day leads to a 1- to 2-pound weekly weight loss, a healthy rate.
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The Best Tactics For Losing Weight
Increasing physical activity has many health benefits and can help you shed weight. But stepping up your exercise alone is rarely enough to help you lose weight. Every pound you’d like to shed represents roughly 3,500 calories. So if you’re hoping to lose half a pound to one pound a week, you need to knock off 250 to 500 calories a day. A good way to start is to try to burn 125 calories through exercise and eat 125 fewer calories each day.
Don’t forget that the math works both ways: indulging in an extra 100 calories a day without burning them off can leave you 10 pounds heavier at the end of a year! Over time, routine treats like a scoop or two of ice cream, a calorie-packed coffee drink, or visits to the cookie or candy jar can tip the scales in the wrong direction.
For more on developing and mastering joint pain relief workout, read The Joint Pain Relief Workout, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School.
Experiment With Herbs And Spices
This is a super healthy way to flavor food plus, herbs and spices offer a wealth of anti-inflammatory plant compounds, says Foroutan. Her favorite: turmeric, which you can add to soups and stews, sprinkle over sautéed vegetables, and even stir in scrambled eggs. Oregano is another potent flavor option that has lots of anti-inflammatory value, she says.
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How To Lose Weight With Knee Pain
Many people want to lose weight because they think they will look better if they weigh less. But dropping a few pounds can also provide significant health benefits if you are overweight. Weight and knee pain have been linked, and obese adults who lose weight can experience less inflammation and pain.
Approximately 72% Of Obese Patients And Non
A February 2020 study in the Journal of clinical orthopaedics and trauma suggested that obese patients and non-obese patients have pretty much the same complication level following surgery and that approximately 72% of obese patients and non-obese patients have post surgery improvement in activity level. They also equally suffer from similar complications including: patello-femoral pain, superficial wound infections, deep vein thrombosis and delayed wound healing.
For 72% there is some post surgery improvement in activity level, for 28% none. About three in 10 knee replacement patients do not have improvement.
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Do Partial Squats Or Use Elastic Bands
The goal is to build lean muscle mass so you burn more calories. This is even more critical when youre trying to lose weight with arthritis, because as muscles grow stronger, they provide greater joint support and help reduce the load and stress on painful joints. Studies show strength training helps reduce pain from arthritis and eventually improve function as well, says Millar. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist about the safest strength training exercises for you.
Easy Ways To Lose Weight
There are steps you can take to start shedding pounds, including:
- reduce portion sizes
- add one vegetable to your plate
- go for a walk after a meal
- take the stairs rather than the escalator or elevator
- pack your own lunch instead of eating out
- use a pedometer
Taking the necessary steps to manage your weight can help protect your knees from joint pain and reduce your risk of OA.
New Mexico Orthopaedics is a multi-disciplinary orthopaedic clinic located in Albuquerque New Mexico. We have multiple physical therapy clinics located throughout the Albuquerque metro area.
New Mexico Orthopaedics offers a full spectrum of services related to orthopaedic care and our expertise ranges from acute conditions such as sports injuries and fractures to prolonged, chronic care diagnoses, including total joint replacement and spinal disorders.
Because our team of highly-trained physicians specialize in various aspects of the musculoskeletal system, our practice has the capacity to treat any orthopaedic condition, and offer related support services, such as physical therapy, WorkLink and much more.
If you need orthopedic care in Albuquerque New Mexico contact New Mexico Orthopaedics at 505-724-4300.
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The Benefits Of Weight Loss And Diet
Weight loss will help to reduce this chronic inflammation, and in osteoarthritis it has been proven that even as little as 5% weight loss can significantly decrease disability! Additionally, the more weight you lose, the more pain relief you can have. But how can we lose weight with a sore knee that hurts with exercise?
The first thing to look at, is your diet. Now this is not my field of expertise, but to effectively lose weight you need to eat less. This will create a calorie or energy deficit, meaning you are eating less than your energy expenditure . For individual and tailored advice, I can recommend a dietician by the name of Claudia Cramer who is excellent at what she does.
How To Exercise With Bad Knees To Lose Weight
Choosing the right activities is critical when losing weight with knee pain. Generally, low-impact exercises are your best options. Here are a few you could try:
- Swimming: Swimming is a non-weight-bearing exercise because you become nearly weightless in the pool. You also use different muscles than for dry-land exercises, giving you a chance to expand your range of motion. Your knees are involved in movements, but they dont generate the movements they just come along for the ride.
- Walking: Walking can also be low-impact, though you may want to try water walking to start, which puts even less strain on the knees. Go short distances at first, then work up to longer ones.
- Physical therapy: A physical therapist understands your pain constraints and will give you exercises designed to strengthen weaknesses and balance out the pain in your knees. Physical therapy offers a challenge and many rewards, such as increased range of motion and decreased pain. It can also help you lose weight.
Before you attempt a weight loss program, talk to your physician about best practices and any notable restrictions.
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How Much Do I Need To Lose
Even small changes in your weight can make a difference. If you shed just 1 pound, you’ll take 4 pounds of pressure off of your knees. Drop 10 pounds and you’ll take 40 pounds of pressure off.
The more pounds you lose, the better. If you’re overweight, experts suggest you aim for 10% of how much you weigh now.
Research backs that up. In one study, people who lost at least 10% of their weight had more relief in pain and inflammation than people who lost less than that.
Try to set a 10% goal for yourself. For instance, if you weigh 200 pounds now, try to lose 20 pounds. Aim for a loss of 1-2 pounds a week.
You can try diet, exercise, or a combination of both. If you’re very overweight or have other health problems, talk to your doctor about other options like low-calorie diets, gastric surgery, or weight loss medications.
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The Link Between Weight And Joint Pain
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , 70 percent of American adults are overweight or obese. This extra weight can put a burden on your joints, causing you to experience pain or inflammation. Being overweight affects the main weight-bearing joints, the hips and the knees, in two different ways.
First, the extra weight increases the joint reaction force within the joint. Over time, this extra joint reaction force, or pressure, causes increased wear and tear on the joint. The damage to the cartilage results in eventual arthritic changes on the joint and can cause you to experience decreased range of motion, stiffness, pain, swelling or warmth. If the damage causes severe pain, it can result in the need for medical attention.
Weight gain also results in increased inflammatory factors. Many inflammatory diseases and conditions that have been linked to being overweight or obese, including digestive disorders, autoimmune disorders, neurological issues, etc. Similarly. the inflammatory enzymes and factors in the body can cause your joints and the surrounding tissues to be painful.
Think about this, too when you go up or down a set of stairs, it adds two to three times your body weight across your knee joints. That means someone who is 100 pounds overweight is actually adding 150 pounds of extra force across the joint than they would if they were a normal weight.
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Fill Up On Foods That Fight Inflammation
Those mostly come from plants, like veggies and fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds, legumes, and herbs and spices. An anti-inflammatory diet is helpful for anyone who is trying to lose weight, but its particularly important if you have arthritis, says Robin Foroutan, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. These foods can help your body better manage normal inflammation, as well as help it put out the excess inflammation that comes with inflammatory arthritis.
Anti-inflammatory foods also indirectly support weight loss by boosting energy levels, improving digestion, and supporting decreased food consumption because these foods are more filling, says registered dietitian Cat Taylor, LD, CSSD, with Nutrition on Demand.
Obesity Is A Risk Factor For Osteoarthritis
Overweight women have nearly 4 times the risk of knee OA for overweight men the risk is 5 times greater.
Being overweight is a clear risk factor for developing OA. Population-based studies have consistently shown a link between overweight or obesity and knee OA. Estimating prevalence across populations is difficult since definitions for obesity and knee OA vary among investigators. Data from the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey indicated that obese women had nearly 4 times the risk of knee OA as compared with non-obese women for obese men, the risk was nearly 5 times greater. In a study from Framingham MA, overweight individuals in their thirties who did not have knee OA were at greater risk of later developing the disease. Other investigations, which performed repeated x-rays over time also, have found that being overweight significantly increases the risk of developing knee OA. It is estimated that persons in the highest quintile of body weight have up to 10 times the risk of knee OA than those in the lowest quintile.
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How Rapid Weight Gain Affects Your Joints
Experiencing an occasional twinge of joint pain when you go for a walk or climb a set of stairs is very common but its not normal.
So, if you are one of the millions of Americans suffering from some type of chronic joint pain, especially in your knees or back, know that you are not alone and that there is probably a very reasonable explanation for it. The first thing youll want to check is your weight because being overweight or obese is a common cause of joint problems.
If you are overweight, you are especially susceptible to arthritis and arthritis is the No. 1 culprit of joint pain. There are two ways that being overweight raises your risk for developing joint disease. First, excess weight puts additional stress on weight-bearing joints, mainly the knees, back, and feet. Secondly, weight gain causes inflammation and swelling of the joints, causing immobility and pain.
It makes sense that extra pounds put additional pressure on your bones, ligaments, and other parts of the musculoskeletal system. For example, the stress on your knees is the equivalent of 1½ times your body weight, meaning a 200-pound man puts 300 pounds of pressure on his knee joints with every step he takes.
Therefore, if your body mass index is 30 or higher , losing weight can reduce the pressure on your joints. Evidence-based research has proven that losing 5, 10, or 15 pounds can dramatically lower ones risk of developing osteoarthritis later in life.
Move More Throughout The Day
It may feel counterintuitive with stiff, painful joints, but not moving can actually make arthritis symptoms worse: Its one of those negative cycles, explains Audrey Lynn Millar, PhD, PT, chair and professor of physical therapy at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina. If you dont move the joint, it will actually become more painful.
Research shows if you do even a little bit of exercise, pain will decrease, she says. Thats because any sort of exercise helps lubricate the joints and maintain function. Think of it like a creaky door hinge: If you dont do anything, it gets worse and worse. But if you add a little oil and move back and forth, it gets better.
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The Role Of Fat Cells In Inflammation
Medical professionals used to think that fat cells just sat there keeping us warm over the winter months. It turns out that these cells also play a role in maintaining some of our bodies normal processes including inflammation!
They are responsible for producing up to one third of some of the chemicals that begin inflammation. So, as we put on weight, there are more fat cells, which then secrete more of this chemical creating more inflammation.
Overweight people who sustain a knee injury may have a heightened local inflammatory response due to the chronic inflammation already circulating their body. This will cause two things to happen:
Can you see the cycle beginning to happen? The real question is how do we break this cycle apart? The answer is to progressively load the joint with stimulus that will encourage healing and to lose weight!
Reducing Inflammation In The Body
OA has long been considered a wear-and-tear disease. Prolonged, excess pressure on the joints will cause inflammation.
But recent research suggests that inflammation may be a risk factor rather than a consequence.
Obesity may increase inflammation levels in the body, which may lead to joint pain. Losing weight can reduce this inflammatory response.
One looked at data for people who lost an average of around 2 pounds a month over a range of 3 months to 2 years. In most studies, markers of inflammation in their bodies fell significantly.
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What Is The Function Of Cartilage
Cartilage is a form of connective tissue that covers the end of each bone in the body. It provides cushioning and shock absorption to the joints, allowing them to move smoothly without restriction. When there is decreased cartilage within a joint, you may experience pain, stiffness, and difficulty moving your joints through their full range of motion.
A variety of treatments are used to treat loss of cartilage in the knee, ranging from conservative measures like pain medications, weight loss, and physical therapy to more invasive procedures like injections and surgery, depending on the severity of your symptoms and degree of cartilage loss.
Do Not Eat Before Bed
Putting an end to after-dinner snacks and late-night eating habits is an easy way to drop pounds. Not only does this approach cut out unnecessary calories, it helps the body digest and metabolize food the bodyâs digestive and metabolic systems work most efficiently during the day.3–5
A physician or registered dietician can work with patients to discuss the above ideas for weight loss as well as other ideas.
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Lose Weight Then Knee Replacement Knee Replacement Then Lose Weight Doctors Present Conflicting Opinions
Many people tell us that the reason they are considering knee replacement is the belief that if they have knee replacement, they then will have better mobility and better mobility means they can be active again. This is not always true. In fact in some people the opposite occurs.
In July 2018, a study from the United Kingdom in the European Journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology found surgeons at odds with each other over the matter of weight management before knee replacement. Research investigators sent a survey to surgeon members of the British Association for Surgery of the Knee. The purpose was to explore knee surgeons opinions and practices regarding the management of painful knees in obese patients. The survey showed considerable practice variation and divided opinion on the scientific evidence.
The slight majority of surgeons stated that weight loss should be the first-line treatment, 53% and this should ideally be managed by a specialist multidisciplinary service. However, only 24% of the surgeons would be interested in being the orthopedic surgeon in such a multidisciplinary service.
Half of surgeons in this study think people should lose weight. One in 4 want to be part of a program.