The Quickest Fix for Knee Pain

A lot has been written about the things active people can do to prevent and mitigate knee pain, from rest and physical therapy to arthroscopic knee surgery. But the simplest solution involves no medical interventions whatsoever: studies show that weight loss can have a profound effect on chronic knee pain.

Researchers recently discovered that one of the particular pathways for arthritis knee pain – degeneration of the knee cartilage – can be slowed significantly by a reduction in body weight:

“This research is helpful by showing that weight loss is associated with less arthritis, but more importantly that weight loss can slow the rate of cartilage degeneration once arthritis has already developed,” says Dr. Steven Gross, an orthopedic surgeon at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, Ill. “Patients who struggle with arthritis can potentially delay its progression by optimizing their weight as there is no turning back once the cartilage is lost to osteoarthritis.”

It is a disarmingly simple step, but of course weight loss remains a struggle for many people. And – alas – if the process of degeneration has advanced too far, or you have difficulty keeping the weight off, then knee surgery is the next step.

Want to learn more how to treat knee pain with orthopedic surgery in San Diego? Contact the AOSM offices today.