Will Losing Weight Cure Arthritis

A key message for those suffering from osteoarthritis is that any small reduction in your body weight is likely to reduce your pain and improve your function, particularly in the knee joint. Being overweight is a significant risk factor for getting osteoarthritis in the first instance, contributing to just under 50 % of this risk in knee osteoarthritis. Other risk factors for knee osteoarthritis include injury or trauma to the knee joint (about 20 %) and occupational (seen more in manual workers).

It is probably easier to understand how excessive body weight affects our weight bearing joints such as the hip or knee due to the extra stress this places on our lower limb joints. It is true that for every extra kilogram of weight we carry does result in about 4-5 kg of additional load going through our knee joint. Losing weight then will reduce this load on your knees and lower limb.

What intuitively may not make sense is that obesity or excessive weight is associated even in osteoarthritis of non-weight-bearing joints such as the hand. One of the proposed reasons for the connection between hand osteoarthritis and our body weight is due to the relationship between adipose tissue and inflammation in your body.

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(2) An anti-inflammatory effect- there is less inflammation or inflammatory markers circulating in your body that results in a reduction in your pain

A study done in 2013 by Messier [1] demonstrated the effect of weight loss on pain and function in knee osteoarthritis over an 18-month duration. It was found that even a small reduction in body weight resulted in significant pain reduction and improved function. It is generally recommended that people with osteoarthritis, particularly of the knee joint, aim to reduce their body weight by even as little as 5 %. This means if you are 100 kg, that even if you reduce your body weight by 5 kg, you should start to notice a reduction in pain.

There is a dose response to weight loss which simply means the more you lose, the greater the reduction in your pain levels. As a basic rule, a 5-10 % reduction in body weight should result in up to a 30-50 % reduction in your reported pain. Combining weight loss and exercise together is more effective and does result in higher reductions in pain and improved function. A recent study by Messier [2] has shown that weight loss also seems to play a role in improving the bio-mechanics around the knee joint and reducing compressive or loading forces around the joint.

What About Diets For Losing Weight?

Many osteoarthritis programs and surgeons now strive for significant weight loss prior to having any joint replacement surgery. There are numerous reasons for this, the main being that reducing your weight prior to surgery may mean you may decide not to require a joint replacement as your pain becomes manageable. It is important to remember that 80 % of people report being satisfied 12 months following a joint replacement, so it is important you try all conservative treatments such as weight loss and exercise prior to contemplating any surgery even if this is only for a brief period of time.

Losing weight and exercising the right way is never easy. It is important you do seek professional advice from a dietician as most peope who are overweight or obese do require special consideration about calorie intake and use of meal replacements such as shakes. Seeking professional advice and support from a physiotherapist about exercising for osteoarthritis is important as well. Programs such as GLA:D and PEAK are really good osteoarthritis management programs delivered by physiotherapists that consist of education, weight loss information for osteoarthritis and exercise.

[1] Messier SP, Mihalko SL, Legault C, et al. Effects of Intensive Diet and Exercise on Knee Joint Loads, Inflammation, and Clinical Outcomes Among Overweight and Obese Adults With Knee Osteoarthritis:The IDEA Randomized Clinical Trial.

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[2] Messier SP, Beavers DP, Mihalko SL, et al. The effects of intensive dietary weight loss and exercise on gait in overweight and obese adults with knee osteoarthritis. The Intensive Diet and Exercise for Arthritis (IDEA) trial.J Biomechanics. 2020.Excess weight can make inflammatory arthritis even worse. This advice can help you shed unwanted pounds and make your joints feel better too.

Dropping extra pounds can be tough enough. Add some stiff, achy joints and extra dose of fatigue to the task, and it may feel near impossible.

But with some effort, you can slim down, and here’s why it’s important: Excess weight can make inflammatory arthritis even worse. “Fat tissue releases proteins called cytokines, which cause inflammation in the body, ” explains Caroline A. Andrews, MD, medical weight management specialist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.  The role of weight loss is one of many things your doctor might not tell you about managing arthritis.

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Cytokine levels are already high when you have inflammatory arthritis; obesity takes it up a notch. In fact, a research review of 329 studies found that obesity can lead to more active and severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis.

“Extra weight also places increased pressure and stress on the joints, which can worsen the pain and stiffness associated with inflammatory arthritis, ” says Dr. Andrews. Plus, obesity may also impact how well your meds work. One study published in the journal

Showed regardless of the type of initial treatment, people with RA who were overweight or obese were significantly less likely to achieve sustained remission, compared to those with a healthy BMI.

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The basics to losing weight apply to everyone, whether you have arthritis or not: Eat a variety of fruits and veggies and choose whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean protein. (Try these tips to make cooking with arthritis easier.) Watch your portions, have regular, balanced meals, and of course, exercise more.

One Facebook member Brenda keeps her advice simple and to the point: “Eat whole fresh foods! Get rid of the processed crap!”

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 it’s 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.

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“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.

It may feel counterintuitive with stiff, painful joints, but not moving can actually make arthritis symptoms worse: “It’s 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 don’t 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. “That’s because any sort of exercise helps lubricate the joints and maintain function. Think of it like a creaky door hinge: If you don’t 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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Or any fatty fish: Salmon, mackerel, trout, herring, sardines, anchovy and branzino all make the list. They contain the most active form of omega-3 fatty acids, explains Taylor. This places these types of fish at the top of the anti-inflammatory food chain.

Suggests eating more fish may be associated with reduced joint inflammation in RA patients. Not into fish? Other omega-3 sources (less potent than fish) include chia seeds, flaxseed oil, and walnuts.

Found these fried slices may contribute to more weight gain per serving than any other food. And if that’s not reason enough to pick a different afternoon snack, these and other deep-fried foods may contain unhealthy saturated and trans fats that may promote inflammation.

Arthritis: 6 Benefits Of Weight Loss For People With Arthritis

To lose weight and stay healthy, you want to eat tons of veggies — every day, as many as you can, says Foroutan, who is an integrated dietitian at The Morrison Center in New York City. They offer vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients; they’re also low in calories and high in fiber to help you feel fuller, longer.

But sometimes the mere thought of shredding a carrot or cutting up greens makes your hands hurt. Enter your new BFF: With the push of a button, you can slice, chop and dice, with minimal effort on your joints. Some veggies that may help fight inflammation: tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, and Foroutan’s favorite: watercress, which is super high in antioxidants.

Not only does avocado oil provide healthy fats that help with inflammation, but also helps with satiety, says Foroutan. Olive oil is another good option. Taylor uses olive for salad dressings and avocado oil to cook, since it does better under heat. Limit oils high in saturated fat, like coconut and palm kernel oil.

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