Research Displays Link Between Obesity And Increased Pain
Monday, May 7th, 2012Several research studies over the years that have been smaller in size have shown a suspected link between patients who are overweight or obese and have increased amounts of pain. The link does make intuitive sense.
Most recently, a survey evaluating the link between pain and obesity included an unbelievable number of participants, many more than probably all the studies combined from the last decade. The study was recently published in Obesity and included over 1 million respondents.
This is an unbelievable sheer number of patients and the researchers out of Stony Brook University asked the patients their height and weight along with the question of whether their experience pain yesterday and other data points.
Overall, 63% of the survey participants were classified as overweight or obese. This is consistent with the reported national average of approximately 67% being either overweight or obese. Those who were classified as obese were further stratified into one of 3 obesity levels according to the definition by the World Health Organization.
Beginning with the overweight group, a 20% higher rate of pain was reported. As the respondents shifted into the obese groups, the 1st obese group reported a 68% higher incidence of pain, the 2nd reported a 136% higher incidence of pain, and the 3rd obese group recorded a 254% increased incidence of pain.
The results of this research show a definitive link between obesity and larger amounts of pain in the United States. The researchers out of Stony Brook University then hypothesized multiple explanations for this link. The 1st was that a larger amount of weight predisposed patients to more pain from a higher level of arthritis in if you think about it, joints have the same surface area whether you are thin or obese and the extra weight causes more stress to go through this same surface area leading to increased pain from more arthritis and a need for pain management Jacksonville FL.
In a large percentage of patients, it is well-known that weight loss in obese individuals can significantly decrease the pain being experienced from arthritis.
The 2nd reason hypothesized was the there is an increased amount of depression in obese patients, also an increased amount of pain in patients who are depressed. Therefore the transitive property of obesity leading to depression and depression leading to pain was thought to be a factor.
The 3rd reason that the researchers thought obesity lead to increased pain was that it causes physiologic changes in the body leading to increased inflammation and pain. They didn’t actually check any hormone levels, they simply postulated this affect.
People who have an increased amount of weight classified as either overweight or obese can usually help their situations and decrease their pain by dropping some pounds.
Arizona pain clinic programs will often include weight loss instruction and monitoring that goes along with the injections of medications and physical therapy along with a Scottsdale chiropractor in order to maximize the amount of pain reduction achieved.