Many people with overweight or obesity experience knee pain. In many cases, losing weight can help reduce pain and lower the risk of osteoarthritis (OA).
According to one study, 3.7 percent of people with a healthy weight (BMI 18.5–25
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Having additional weight puts extra pressure on your knees. This can result in chronic pain and other complications, including OA. Inflammation may also play a role.
Maintaining a healthy weight has many health benefits, including:
reducing pressure on the knees
reducing joint inflammation
reducing the risk of various diseases
For people with overweight, each pound they lose can reduce the load on their knee joint by 4 pounds (1.81 kg).
That means if you lose 10 pounds (4.54 kg), there’ll be 40 pounds (18.14 kg) less weight in each step for your knees to support.
Less pressure means less wear and tear on the knees and a lower risk of osteoarthritis (OA).
Current guidelines recommend weight loss as a strategy for managing OA of the knee.
According to the American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation, losing 5 percent or more of your body weight can have a positive effect on both knee function and treatment outcomes.
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 review
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looked at data for people who lost an average of around 2 pounds (0.91 kg) a month over a range of 3 months to 2 years. In most studies, markers of inflammation in their bodies fell significantly.
Together with dietary choices, exercise can help you lose weight and reduce the risk of OA.
Current guidelines recommend the following activities:
walking
cycling
strengthening exercises
water-based activities
tai chi
yoga
As well as contributing to weight loss, these can improve strength and flexibility, and they may also reduce stress. Stress can contribute to inflammation, which may worsen knee pain.