Weight loss and osteoarthritis pain

Weight Loss and Osteoarthritis Pain

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the one of the most common joint conditions. It is the most frequent cause of reduced mobility and quality of life. Obesity is thought to be a major risk factor for knee OA (Felson et al. 1988). Recent studies carried out on weight loss and OA have found that small changes can make a significant difference to symptoms.

Christensen et al. (2007) found up to 50% improvement in symptoms with a 10% reduction in body weight. Further studies have also found similar results (Messier et al. 2013, Christensen et al. 2015). This can be a useful strategy to help manage symptoms and delay or avoid joint surgery.

References

Christensen, R., Bartels, E.M., Astrup, A. and Bliddal, H. (2007) Effect of weight reduction in obese patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of the rheumatic diseases , 66(4), 433-439.

Christensen, R., Henriksen, M., Leeds, A.R., Gudbergsen, H., Christensen, P., Sørensen, T.J., Bartels, E.M., Riecke, B.F., Aaboe, J., Frederiksen, R. and Boesen, M. (2015) Effect of weight maintenance on symptoms of knee osteoarthritis in obese patients: a twelve‐month randomized controlled trial. Arthritis care & research , 67(5), 640-650.

Felson, D.T., Anderson, J.J., Naimark, A., Walker, A.M. and Meenan, R.F. (1988) Obesity and knee osteoarthritis: the Framingham Study. Annals of internal medicine , 109(1), 18-24.

Messier, S.P., Mihalko, S.L., Legault, C., Miller, G.D., Nicklas, B.J., DeVita, P., Beavers, D.P., Hunter, D.J., Lyles, M.F., Eckstein, F. and Williamson, J.D. (2013) 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. Jama , 310(12),1263-1273.

Author: Aiveen Lavery