Joint Pain? How Weight May Play A Part

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There is a definite link between joint pain and being overweight. Carrying extra weight can put additional strain on joints and when this strain becomes too much it can cause pain. There are certain areas of the body that may be more affected than other by joint pain if you are overweight.

Foot Pain
Joints in the foot are commonly affected by joint pain because they support the weight of your whole body as you move around in the day. People who are overweight may find that they suffer from discomfort around the feet and ankles, and signs such as swollen ankles may indicate that the joints are becoming inflamed due to all the pressure they are under. When pain is felt in these areas it can make moving around difficult and you may find that you are no longer able to carry out your normal day to day activities as easily as you were once able.

Knee Pain
Knee pain is very common in people who are overweight and this is often due to problems developing in the joints. The cartilage in the knee can become worn and this can make the bones in the leg rub together which is what causes the pain. There is a danger with this type of pain that it can turn into the more serious condition of osteoarthritis. This occur when the knee cartilage is worn away altogether and the constant friction of the bones rubbing together causes them to weaken. It is a condition that will affect many people as they get older but being overweight increases the risk of this developing earlier in life.

How Can Joint Pain Be Eased?
If the primary cause of joint pain is being overweight then trying to lose weight should be your first step. This will prevent any further damage being done to the joints. When you take a step, the amount of force that is placed on your joints can be as much as three times your actual weight. However, this also means that for every one pound you lose, three less pounds are placed on your joints as you walk. Therefore, losing just a small amount of weight can have a big impact on the pressure that your joints are under.

Exercising can help joint pain in two ways. Firstly, it can speed up your weight loss and if you lose weight faster then pressure is relieved on your joints more quickly. There are certain effective ways that help to relieve your joint pain. Exercising can also help to strengthen the muscles around the joints which can make them more stable and less prone to injury. As the pain in your joints improves you may find that you are able to do more forms of exercise, or exercise for longer periods.

Herbal tea often contains anti-inflammatory properties and reducing the inflammation around the joints is likely to go some way to easing the pain that is felt. When the pain is reduced you may found it easier to move around more which can also lead to increased weight loss. Massage helps to improve your weight loss and it also assists in relieving your joint pain. Some of the herbal remedies that will help with joint inflammation may be available as a supplement if you do not like the taste of herbal tea.

It is important to remember that any damage that has already been done to the joints cannot be repaired. However, taking action to ease the pain can prevent any further damage being done to the joints which should also prevent any current problems with pain becoming even worse. It may be possible to take painkillers which will help with the pain but it should be remembered that simply dealing with the pain will not to anything to prevent further damage to the joints and without any action being taken to prevent this damage the pain will only get worse.

Conclusion
Being overweight can be a leading cause of joint pain and even losing a small amount of weight can make a big difference to the amount of pain that is felt in the joints. There is a danger of joint pain developing into a more serious condition such as osteoarthritis due to excess weight if it is not addressed so steps should be taken to ease the pain in the joints as soon as it begins to be felt. As well as losing weight there are other steps that can be taken such as doing some low impact exercise and drinking herbal tea.

Churchill Otieno
Churchill Otieno, holds a degree in Communications and Public Relations. He is an accomplished independent researcher, experienced, professional writer based in Chicago, IL past Mombasa, Kenya. He is an author and publisher for Consumer Health Digest - Joint Pain Center category since 2013. He has an additional credentials in health and lifestyle fitness. He has been writing articles on health for more than two years with interest on bone, joint health, arthritis, osteoarthritis etc. He is also a contributor to healthcentral.com and many other popular websites. His mission is to educate, empower and advocate people whose lives have changed due to arthritis joint pain. He also strive to support the families and caregivers as they learn how to advocate and care for the afflicted person.