Pain Relief Benefits of Weight Management

Description: Weight management takes on extra importance for those of us faced with chronic pain. Learn how you can combat extra weight with exercise and diet.

Teaser: It’s not just how much you eat, but also how you move than can influence your pain

The diet starts… tomorrow! We’ve all said this at some point or another – especially after a hearty weekend of food and celebration with families. But weight management takes on extra importance for those of us faced with chronic pain. Focusing more on weight management through lifestyle changes – and not going on a dreaded (and overly restrictive!) “diet” – is key for getting those good pain relief benefits from maintaining a healthy weight. Because it’s not about how much we eat – and more about what we eat – that can make the difference.

On the whole, we are getting bigger. But this can also mean more frequent pain.¹

Our diets have changed since our grandparents’ time. Now there is an increase in processed foods that are lower in nutrients and higher in salt and fat. We also lead much more sedentary lifestyles than previous generations, which lowers our daily calorie burn. This has made weight management increasingly difficult and may make chronic pain more difficult to manage. In fact, there seems to be a lot of overlap between being overweight and experiencing chronic pain.³

How is weight related to chronic pain?

The relationship between weight and chronic pain is a bit of a chicken and egg situation. While there is a strong link between obesity and pain,^4,5 it is unclear which causes which. Of course, experiencing pain can make us retreat from activities we once loved, leading us towards a more sedentary lifestyle. Moving less can spell weight gain for some of us. In this scenario, the pain causes the weight gain.

On the other hand, there’s a physiological reality to being overweight. Carrying around excess kilograms puts stress on our bodies. This can cause musculoskeletal pain. Whether it’s overweight hip pain, ankle pain, or knee pain, excess weight can take a toll over time. In fact, doctors have found a higher prevalence of neck, back, hip, and knee pain in obese patients.⁶

Back pain due to weight gain is common.⁷ Excess belly weight pulls our posture out of alignment, pitching our stomach forward, which can put a strain on our lower backs; hence the back pain due to weight.

Being overweight means carrying around extra fat stores in our body. Body fat secretes chemicals – known as cytokines and chemokines - into the blood stream.⁸ These chemicals increase inflammation in the body. This can affect blood pressure, cholesterol, and insulin resistance. Inflammation in the body can also contribute to body pain.

How can weight management help with pain?

We all know there are health benefits of losing weight. The benefits of losing weight in the context of pain relief are:

- Reducing inflammation – extra fat can increase inflammation in the body and inflammation is in turn a cause of pain^9,10

- Reducing mechanical stress on our body – Being heavier puts extra strain on our joints and requires stronger muscles to support the joints. Reducing weight takes the load off.¹¹

Additional benefits of losing weight are regaining some joy of movement and an improved quality of life. Losing weight can mean returning to activities that you miss out on. Shedding extra weight can also improve other health markers, such as blood pressure, insulin levels, cholesterol, and quality of sleep.

If you experience overweight hip pain, ankle pain, or knee pain, you may have osteoarthritis and it’s best to make an appointment with your doctor for a diagnosis and to find out more about these symptoms. Weight management can prove quite helpful in this case. Losing even just a few kilograms can significantly reduce knee pain, for instance.¹²

Weight management tips

If you’re interested in the weight management route of pain relief, the next step is learning a bit on how to lose weight.

The compounds found in food can have a profound effect on our bodies. When it comes to pain relief, sometimes it’s not merely about losing weight but how to lose weight, that makes the most impact.

Without further ado, here are our weight management tips geared toward pain relief. Keep them posted on your fridge. Write them in your journal. Take them into account when you’re planning your grocery shopping list.

1. Exercise – do what you can!

We understand that exercise can be challenging when you’re in pain. But do what you can! Maybe that’s going for a walk around the block. Maybe it’s getting some housework done. Swimming is a great low-impact option for getting some calorie burn in. Added bonus: it’s a full-body workout. Get started with some exercises you can do at home.

2. Practice good portion size

If you experience chronic pain, you have likely adapted your lifestyle in order to cope. More often than not, this means moving less, which means less calories are burned in a day. Maintaining a healthy weight may mean putting less on your plate than you grew accustomed to before you started experiencing pain.

3. Don’t skip meals!

Your body runs best when it gets fuel regularly and predictably. Plus, there’s no need to feel like you’re being punished and going to bed without dinner! (Or waking up without breakfast…) Feed your body, and your mind. If you’re considering intermittent fasting or other fasting schemes, consult your healthcare provider first.

4. Plan your meals ahead of time

Make eating fun and enjoyable. By planning meals ahead of time, you can feel free to try out new recipes and experiment in the kitchen with things you may not have tried before. Knowing ahead of time what you’ll be eating can also help you resist the temptation to reach for something fast and convenient. Because fast and convenient usually means salty, sugary, or fatty. In other words – no good.