#1 Arthritis Pain Relief Tip

Several resent studies show that overweight male and female adults suffering from osteoarthritis can significantly reduce the amount of pain and disability they experience as a result of their osteoarthritis (the most common type of arthritis) by losing a mere 5% of their body weight.

"It is more or less proven now that the most effective thing, if you have osteoarthritis of the knee, is weight loss," says Henning Bliddal (a co-author of the study), of HS Frederiksberg Hospital in Copenhagen. Join Pain is highly associated with your weight. Increased weight means more stress on your joints which makes it prone to joint related problems. To give an indication , while walking you are exerting a minimum of three times your body weight on the while you are walking.

"As such, weight reduction therapy in overweight osteoarthritic patients is a very appealing goal, both with regards to disease-specific pain and disability reduction as well as for overall health benefits such as cardiovascular risk reduction," adds Robin Christensen (also a study co-author), of HS Frederiksberg Hospital.

The conducted study consisted of an extensive search within varying databases in the efforts to identify studies wherein patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee who had also experienced weight loss of 5% (or more) of their body weight.

Out of the twenty-three studies meeting research criteria, all of the participants noted decreased pain and lower levels of disability after their weight loss. The total number of patients who participated in this collection of studies exceeded five hundred.

The relationship between participating individuals’ weight loss and the reduction in arthritis pain and disability proved to be impressive and the resulting report indicated the findings as “convincing”.

Computer modeling indicated that an overall weight loss of a mere 5.02%, within a specific period of time, would dramatically lessen the severity physical disabilities and pain experienced by overweight adults suffering from osteoarthritis. In a 200-pound person, that weight loss adds up to just ten pounds!

If an individual loses 10% of their body weight they will experience “moderate -to-large improvement in self-reported physical disability," Christensen stated.

Medical professionals recommend that overweight arthritis sufferers lose at least 10% of their body weight within an 8-week (or two month) time frame. In a 200-pound adult, losing 10% (or 20 pounds) of excess body weight can prove challenging, but worth the effort in the long run.

The best possible way to accomplish this weight loss is to increase levels of activity and begin a regimen of healthy eating. Exercise alone will not provide optimal results if you’re still overeating and consuming the wrong types of food. It is recommended that you first begin to improve your diet and then add exercise to your routine.

Doctors agree that “your knees will last longer” if you follow a healthy eating plan in conjunction with low impact, moderately strenuous exercise. Your exercise routine should be adjusted to your fitness level, and as you become more physically fit you can increase the level of your activity.