“Can excess weight trigger rheumatic pain in people?”
I am having a weird pain in my knees and legs. I have also recently gained a lot of weight. Could this be rheumatic pain and could it be due to the weight, or is it something else?
4 Answers
This increased pain could be coming from several sources. Mechanical changes with weight can occur, like gait. Insulin resistance with weight can cause tendon irritation. Inflammation from weight gain can trigger autoimmune response if you are genetically susceptible..
arthritis in knees can be “affected” by weight so weight loss would be ideal
Obesity affects arthritis for two reasons: First, the excess load on your joints can cause pain and discomfort, and second, a number of inflammatory mediators produced in fat affect joint tissues and play a role in pain, just as being overweight is linked to increased arthritis pain, weight loss may help improve arthritis symptoms. Check out this article for more information: https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/reasons-lose-weight-with-arthritis/. In either case, I would advise you to follow up with a rheumatologist for further evaluation, as there can be many different causes for your symptoms and it should be evaluated by a healthcare professional.
Generally, increased weight can increase pain in the knees and hips in particular. That said, leaner people with RA seem to do better over the long run.
