How Weight Loss Acts as Arthritis Treatment

The thought of exercising on a regular basis in order to maintain or lose weight probably doesn’t appeal to you if you suffer from the pain and discomfort of arthritis. However, if you do have arthritis and you know you are at least a little overweight, you might want to consider weight loss surgery, an effective arthritis treatment. Research and experience is proving that losing weight can help arthritis sufferers relieve their daily discomfort dramatically.

The Burden On the Joints

The weight and pressure that the joints have to withstand can lead to joint discomfort, even in people who don’t have arthritis. The joints are more vulnerable to injury than most people realize and, for arthritis sufferers, this is even more of an issue. This is especially true for the knees in older adults. For men and women with rheumatoid arthritis, each pound of weight can feel like four times what a regular person might feel in his or her joints.

Being overweight can make matters worse very quickly. Millions of men and women with rheumatoid arthritis might not ever have been told that reducing their weight by just five pounds can have pain-relieving results they might find surprising.

Thinning of the Cartilage

Thinning cartilage in between the joints is the main reason for the great discomfort arthritis sufferers have to bear daily. When the cartilage in between the bones really begins to wear away, the bones rub against each other and can cause excruciating pain. That is why weight loss acts as an arthritis treatment; it relieves unnecessary pressure.

The pressure on the cartilage and bones is greatly reduced with just a few pounds of weight being lost. Losing weight isn’t strictly a weight issue when it comes to arthritis, either. It can be a chemical issue as well when it comes to fat cells themselves.

Inflammation from Arthritis

One of the key symptoms of any kind of arthritis is inflammation of the joints. There might be different reasons why the joints are inflamed and this depends on the kind of arthritis. The body’s immune system, which includes the white blood cells, attack certain tissues in the body that are often associated with the joints.

Most people don’t know that fat itself actually contains inflammation-causing enzymes. Scientists have discovered that a diet high in calories actually causes fat cells to behave as if they are under attack by viruses or bacteria. This causes the immune system’s white blood cells to attack the tissue containing these fat cells and increasing chances of inflammation all over the body.

If you feel like you might benefit from weight loss for arthritis treatment, consider the available options at The Center for Metabolic & Obesity Surgery in Maitland, FL. Our doctors will be able to tell you if weight loss surgery could be an effective arthritis treatment for you. Contact us today to schedule your consultation!