Loosing Weight may Help Knee Pain

Is knee pain weight related?  I’ve blogged before that studies show that gaining weight can help increase knee pain. In addition being heavy with high blood pressure and pre-diabetes (metabolic syndrome) in and of itself chews up cartilage. Can loosing weight impact your pain from knee arthritis? While we hear all the time that weight loss may help, there isn’t a lot of good research that backs that up. A new study however may change that situation as it does suggest that shedding a few pounds could help knee arthritis pain. In the study, two groups of mostly elderly women were either placed on a strict low calorie diet or just given basic dietary advice. The low calorie diet group lost more than 20 pounds while the advice group lost on average about 7 pounds. The low calorie group reported less pain, but about the same function. About twice as many women in the low calorie group reported that loosing weight helped their knee pain. The upshot? Loosing weight may help your knee arthritis pain but it may not help you do more (function). However, given the other benefits of loosing weight, it would seem like an inexpensive and good way to manage arthritis pain.
Learn More About Regenexx® Procedures
Request a digital booklet and more information to learn about alternatives to orthopedic surgery and the Regenexx patient experience.
We do not sell, or share your information to third party vendors. By submitting the form you agree that you've read and consent to our Privacy Policy.
Chris Centeno, MD is a specialist in regenerative medicine and the new field of Interventional Orthopedics. Centeno pioneered orthopedic stem cell procedures in 2005 and is responsible for a large amount of the published research on stem cell use for orthopedic applications. View Profile

If you have questions or comments about this blog post, please email us at [email protected]

NOTE: This blog post provides general information to help the reader better understand regenerative medicine, musculoskeletal health, and related subjects. All content provided in this blog, website, or any linked materials, including text, graphics, images, patient profiles, outcomes, and information, are not intended and should not be considered or used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please always consult with a professional and certified healthcare provider to discuss if a treatment is right for you.

TO TOP