The Obesity And Arthritis Connection
Many people suffer from both arthritis and obesity. But what started it all? Which came first? There are three possible explanations.
Arthritis And Obesity: Obesity Comes First
When a person carries extra pounds on their frame, they are putting additional stress on their joints. This extra pressure reduces the amount of cartilage separating the bones, and even causes wear on the bones. Arthritis patients most often have a couple of major complaints regarding pain: their knees hurt. Pain in the hips is also sometimes an issue, and both can be explained by the wearing away of cartilage and bone caused by extra weight.
Research has shown that if obesity predates an arthritis diagnosis, even a minimal weight loss may help lower issues caused by arthritis.
While joint replacement surgery may help arthritis symptoms, many surgeons are reluctant to operate on obese patients due to the increased risk of complications.
Arthritis/Obesity: First comes Arthritis
If it’s your custom to eat a lot of food and then exercise to burn off the calories, you may very well find problems arising when you have joint pain and stiffness. At times, you may be unable to exercise and work off the food you’ve consumed due to the pain of arthritis.
If you start to see some indicators of arthritis, it’s time to go see your doctor. There are drugs which can help you deal with arthritis effects, and your doctor may prescribe those in addition to injections, physical therapy, or even joint replacement.
Should you have to cut back on your physical activity due to the effects of your arthritis, don’t neglect altering your diet as well. It’s probably going to be necessary to reduce the calories you eat daily, since you might not get as many opportunities to burn them off. Monitor your weight by getting on the scale every other day or so, just to make sure you’re not gaining.
Arthritis and Obesity: Some Other Disease Or Bodily Process Causes Both
As we have learned, obesity and arthritis have a close correlation. Basically, if someone is suffering from one of them, they are likely to suffer from the other also. However, a “correlation” is not identical to a “causation”. To say that there is causation means that obesity causes arthritis, or vice-versa, and that is not the case. The two have a correlation, which means that neither appears to cause the other, but they go together frequently.
Similarly, scientists have wondered if there is a third factor involved in the arthritis/obesity equation that might cause both conditions to develop. Age, for instance, is a risk factor that is associated with both arthritis and obesity. Unfortunately, scientists have not yet uncovered any causative factor that can be prevented.
The best preventative measures for obesity and arthritis seem to be a healthy diet, regular exercise, and checking with your physician immediately if you are having pain which holds you back from your regular exercise.
