Excess weight and diseases are two words that are commonly linked together. Many know that gaining weight is bad for your heart and in some cases can even be cause for some cancers but not many realize what the shock of excess weight does to your body. When you add weight to your body, the body must work harder processing certain functions. When weight is gained quickly over a short period of time your joints suffer drastically.
Weight = Pressure
No matter who you are, when one walks or runs pressure is added to the joints. Your knees do a lot of work and the pressure on your knees with each step is 1 ½ times your body weight. When you climb stairs of run that number increases. As you gain more weight, the more pressure is added to your knees. Your body can adjust when a normal weight is achieved by the process can be quite lengthy.
Even being overweight by 10 pounds can add 30 percent more stress to the knees! When you gain weight in a quick fashion, your cartilage can become overworked. When pressure is added to cartilage the cartilage begins to wear down creating less of a cushion with each step. This can also lead to osteoarthritis which causes the bone to rub against another bone due to wearing of the cushions of cartilage in the knee. This extra baggage can lead you to an operating room as a hip and knee surgery could be necessary.
Even with a hip replacement, the success for those who are overweight versus those who are a normal weight vary greatly. Even with the new hip or knee, the weight is still there and needs to be addressed to prevent any more damage. With new medical advances, those who are overweight may not be candidate for minimally invasive surgery which would also mean a longer recovery time.
Weight + Inflammation
Adipose is a fat cell that creates protein which can cause systemic inflammation. When a person undergoes chronic inflammation their body’s response time to a real threat decreases. Excess inflammation can also create an issue for the joints. Gout is often linked to obesity and this condition causes extreme inflammation in the joints. This pain occurs in the big toe most often but can occur in other joints.
Link between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Extra Pounds
RA is an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks and erodes synovium in the joints. The body becomes inflamed as the body responds to the immune system. Proteins are also released from fat cells and contribute to the chemicals already in excess in RA which makes inflammation worse. Those who have RA are already at higher risk for cardiovascular problems and the added weight makes that risk even higher.
Excess weight and arthritis can play a huge role in your life and hinder you from be able to participate in daily activities. If you are someone who suffers from arthritis and may have some excess weight that needs to come off, contact our Atlanta chiropractors as they can help guide you on the right path. Call us today for a consultation at (404) 889-8828.