How keeping a check on weight can help you avoid knee-related issues

Tips for healthy joints

Obesity is a well recognised global epidemic. In the last 30 years, obesity has doubled worldwide. The prevalence of obesity in India is about 12 per cent to 31 per cent in various age groups. About 22 per cent to 39 per cent of the Indian population suffers from osteoarthritis of the knee. The most significant impact of excess weight on bones and joints is associated with degenerative osteoarthritis of the knee. The treatment of end stage osteoarthritis of knee is surgical — Total Knee Replacement (TKR). A good lifestyle, which incorporates a balanced diet, physical fitness and regular exercise, lowers the risk of obesity and thus the risk of osteoarthritis of the knee.
 
In India, the risk of osteoarthritis and need for  Total Knee Replacement surgery increases after the age of 50. The rise in the rate of life expectancy and the increase in prevalence of obesity in our country poses a new health hazard of obese patients requiring knee replacement. Those who encounter obesity during early adulthood are predisposed to osteoarthritis. Obesity is a leading driver of knee replacement demand and imposes increased risks of surgical complications. Obesity is the greatest modifiable risk factor for OA knee. A body mass index (BMI) of more than 30kg/m2 was seven times more likely to develop osteoarthritis knee. The relationship of body mass index to osteoarthritis is more significant in women than men.
 
Excess weight causes degeneration of joints, especially the knee by not only increasing the mechanical loading of the joint but also the  hormonal dysregulation in the body. Osteoarthritis is limiting in most aspects of life due to body pain and limitation of mobility. It is estimated that the economic burden of osteoarthritis was only second to diabetes in USA, and we in India are not far away from this situation.
 
Weight reduction or maintaining a healthy lifestyle by doing regular exercises — walking , jogging and sporting activities — can keep the knee and other joints healthy along with providing articular cartilage nourishment. This can prevent early degeneration of the joints. Following a balanced diet can help in maintaining a good metabolism, especially for patients suffering with obesity, diabetes and cardiac illness, which often coexist in individuals.
 
It has been proved in multiple studies that weight reduction helps in relieving pain and improving functions in patients suffering from crippling knee degenerative arthritis. High impact exercises such as running, jogging and treadmill are not advisable in patients, once the degeneration in the joints is already set in. The exercises for patients with knee arthritis include strengthening the muscle around the knee, including quadriceps and hamstring. Joint mobilisation exercises help prevent stiffness and possible development of deformity, helping relieve the patient from arthritis pain. 
 
Once knee arthritis becomes severe, doing various exercises to reduce weight and maintain an active lifestyle become a challenge. Hence, a good awareness of modifiable risk factors for obesity and arthritis of the knee can help us lead a happy, healthy and pain-free life. Avoiding obesity through a good lifestyle, balanced diet and exercise not only reduce an array of medical disorders such as diabetes  and heart disease but also reduce the risk of knee replacement surgery.

RAVIRAJ A
Senior Orthopedics and Joint Replacement Surgeon 

Medall Clumax Diagnostics & Consultant Apollo Hospitals, Bengaluru