As we age and our joints begin to suffer from pain, life can be made more difficult. One diseases that can make life nearly unbearable is osteoarthritis in the knees. This condition has been shown to be heavily affected by weight. So if you are worried about this condition or suffer from it, here's why losing some weight may help.

Why Excess Weight Can Lead To Osteoarthritis

Experts state that overweight people have a much higher risk of developing osteoarthritis in the knee: up to four times the risk for women and five times for men. Why does obesity play such a major role in this disease? Excessive weight can put a major strain on your knee, one that causes its health to degrade.

Failure to lose weight will cause this condition to worsen to the point of becoming osteoarthritis. At this point, the pain may be severe enough to make it difficult for you to walk. This is especially true for those with levels of BMI in the upper 20s and 30s.

Fat Also Plays A Major Role

Excessive strain on your knees isn't the only reason a few extra pounds can lead to osteoarthritis in your knees. Fat increases the levels of cytokines in your body. These chemicals have been shown to attack your joints and contribute to the onset of osteoarthritis.

For example, in one study it was found that moderating the levels of these chemicals in dogs and rabbits could prevent severe osteoarthritis conditions. While these is still no known cure or treatment for this condition, it is clear that decreasing your cytokines by losing fat in your body may help manage symptom severity.

Weight Loss Can Help

Thankfully, losing weight can help alleviate your osteoarthritis pain and even prevent it from occurring. Experts have estimated that dropping even 10-15 pounds could seriously affect the severity of your osteoarthritis. However, if you have this condition, you need to perform exercises that won't make it even worse.

Range of motion and flexibility arthritis can help increase the flexibility of your affected joints and make it easier for you to perform other exercises. Try gentle stretching in the morning and at night to get started. Aerobic and endurance exercises, such as 150 minutes of walking every week, could get your body working while not hurting your joints or worsening your pain.

Carefully managing your weight and decreasing your level of fat can help manage your osteoarthritis pain in your knees and get you started on the road to recovery. Make sure you approve any lifestyle changes with a doctor or an orthopedic specialist before performing them.

Talk to a company like Northern Care Inc Prosthetics & Orthotics to learn more.