Healthy Living Blog

Can Weight Management Help with Chronic Pain?

Extra pounds can have a significant negative effect on your lower back.

That’s according to a 2010 review published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, which assessed data from 95 high-quality studies. The conclusion? The risk for lower back pain was directly related to increases in body mass index (BMI).

Many people who have a higher BMI are also at greater risk for knee pain and osteoarthritis, which is the most common joint disorder in the world and is recognized as a significant source of disability. One study found that while 3.7% of people who have a BMI between 18.5 and 25 have osteoarthritis, 19.5% of those who have a BMI of 35-39.9 — a category that is labeled grade 2 obesity — struggle with the same condition.

Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce pressure on the knees, decrease joint inflammation, and lower the risk for certain diseases. It can also prevent chronic pain.

For people who are considered overweight, each pound lost can reduce the load on their knee joints by four. That means that losing a manageable five pounds can result in 20 pounds less weight in each step.

It’s important to remember that any weight management should happen gradually. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a reasonable time period to drop 10% of your body weight is six months. Think about how long it takes chronic pain to build up. It’s not going to disappear overnight, which is why a measured approach to weight loss is wisest.

How to work toward that? A combination of diet and exercise.

The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week. If that seems like a lot, remember that it’s a goal — not a necessity. Focus on activities you can enjoy, and try to stick to a schedule at the same time each day.

If you’re worried about injury or intimidated by self-structuring, talking to a specialist like a physical therapist can help. They can help ease you into exercise using the appropriate movements so that you’re not putting yourself at greater risk for a new injury or aggravating an existing one.

Working with a nutritionist is an excellent complement to easing into exercise. They can help you target foods that align with your basic metabolic caloric intake and will give you the proper balance of vitamins and minerals. They may recommend an anti-inflammatory diet, which has been shown to have success in reducing chronic pain in certain environments.

One excellent way to learn about weight management and dealing with chronic pain is by attending Structure House’s Injury Management and Prevention Week from November 6-13. We’ll guide you through ways to manage existing injuries and prevent new ones, with special classes dedicated to keeping your knees, hips, lower back, and shoulders healthy.

You’ll hear from our fitness director, Katie Krasinski, along with many of the other esteemed members of our staff, and you can pick their brains to identify the most effective ways of maintaining a healthy weight.

Want to learn more about Injury Management and Prevention Week? Contact us here and follow us on social media!

About Katie Rickel, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Katie Rickel graduated summa cum laude from Duke University with a Bachelor of Science in psychology and earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Florida. She completed an APA-accredited clinical internship in health psychology at Duke University Medical Center, with advanced training in behavioral and bariatric obesity treatment as well as the psychological management of chronic pain and illness. Dr. Rickel also has expertise in treating anxiety disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and specific phobias. Her research has been presented at various professional conferences and published in scientific journals. Dr. Rickel has also appeared on “The Dr. Oz Show” and has been quoted in several popular media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, Health magazine, Yahoo! Health, Women’s Health magazine, Weight Watchers magazine, and abcnews.com.

 

Digital publications:

Is Fear Making You Keep the Weight On? The Dr. Oz Show

The Lady on the Scooter: Think Twice Before You Judge, The Dr. Oz Show

The Feeding Tube Diet: A Magical Weight-Loss Solution?, The Dr. Oz Show

An All-Natural Antidepressant, The Dr. Oz Show

Refocusing Your Body Image, The Dr. Oz Show

Cut the Food, Keep Your Social Life, The Dr. Oz Show

Thanksgiving Survival Tips, The Dr. Oz Show

How to Stay Healthy, Even When You’re Traveling, Curvy Girl Health

“DNA Diets”: Miracle or Scam?, Curvy Girl Health

Conquering Your Gym Phobia, Curvy Girl Health

Taking the Scary Out of the Scale, Curvy Girl Health

 

Journal publications:

Selected published abstracts and conference presentations:

  • Rickel, K.A., Gibbons, L.M., Milsom, V.A., DeBraganza, N., Murawski, M.E., Nackers, L.M. & Perri, M. G. (2007). Racial/ethnic differences in the effectiveness of extended care following lifestyle intervention for obesity. Poster presented at the 28th annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. Washington, D.C. (Published Abstract).
  • Rickel, K.A., Durning, P.E., Debraganza, N., Milsom, V.A., Murawski, M.E., Gibbons, L.M., & Perri, M.G. (2006). Treatment of Obesity in Underserved Rural Settings (TOURS): Changes in physical activity and physical fitness in African-American and Caucasian women. Poster presented at the 27th annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. San Francisco, CA.  (Published Abstract).
  • Rickel, K.A., Milsom, V.A., Murawski, M.E., DeBraganza, N., Fox, L.D. Durning, P.E., Janicke, D.M., & Perri, M.G. (2005). Do self-reported changes in diet or exercise predict weight loss in lifestyle treatment of obesity? Poster presented at the 18th Annual College of Public Health and Health Professions Research Day. University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
  • Rickel, K.A., Durning, P.E., & Perri, M.G. (2004). Treatment Preference and Perceived Difficulty as Predictors of Exercise Adherence. Poster presented at the 25th annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. Baltimore, MD. (Published Abstract).
  • Milsom, V.A., Rickel, K.A., DeBraganza, N., Gibbons, L.M., Nackers, L.M., Durning, P.E., & Perri, M. G. (2007). Contributions of weight loss and physical activity to improvements in fitness and metabolic profile. Poster presented at the 28th annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. Washington, D.C. (Published Abstract).
  • Gibbons, L.M., DeBraganza, N., Milsom, V.A., Murawski, M.E., Nackers, L.M., Rickel, K.A., Durning, P.E., & Perri, M. G. (2007). Do the benefits of weight-loss treatment outweigh the risks for elderly, obese women? Poster presented at the 28th annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. Washington, D.C. (Published Abstract).
  • Nackers, L.M., Milsom, V.A., Gibbons, L.M., DeBraganza, N., Rickel, K.A., & Perri, M.G. (2007). Is it better to have lost and regained than to never have lost at all? The impact of weight regain on metabolic risk factors. Poster presented at the 28th annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. Washington, D.C. (Published Abstract).
  • Milsom, V.A., Gibbons, L.M., Debraganza, N., Rickel, K.A., Murawski, M.E., Durning, P.E., & Perri, M.G. (2006). What constitutes a successful weight-loss outcome? The impact of 5% and 10% weight reduction on metabolic risk factors for disease. Poster presented at the 27th annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. San Francisco, CA. (Published Abstract).
  • Gibbons, L.M., Milsom, V.A., Murawski, M.E., Debraganza, N., Rickel, K.A., Durning, P.E., & Perri, M.G. (2006). Length of treatment and successful outcome in the management of obesity.  Poster presented at the 27th annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. San Francisco, CA. (Published Abstract).
  • Lutes, L.D., Perri, M.G., Dale, M.S., Milsom, V.A., Debraganza, N., Rickel, K.A., Durning, P.E. & Bobroff, L.B. (2005). Treatment of Obesity in Underserved Rural Settings (TOURS): Changes in nutritional intake in African-American and Caucasian women. Poster presented at the 27th annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. San Francisco, CA. (Published Abstract).
  • Fennell, E.B., Kelly, K.G. & Rickel, K.A. (2005). Pediatric case studies in neurocognitive sequelae of familial Myelomeningocele. Poster presented at the 33rd annual meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society. (Published Abstract).
  • Murawski, M.E., DeBraganza, N., Rickel, K.A., Milsom, V.A., Durning, P. E., Fox, L.D., Janicke, D. M., & Perri, M. G. (2005). Treatment of Obesity in Underserved Rural Settings (TOURS): Effects on quality of life. Poster presented at the 26th annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. Boston, MA. (Published Abstract).
  • Milsom, V.A., Rickel, K.A., Murawski, M.E., DeBraganza, N., & Perri, M.G. (2005). Weight loss improves functional mobility in older obese women. Poster presented at the 26th annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. Boston, MA. (Published Abstract).
  • Aranda, M., Meisel, F., Bearn, L., Rickel, K., & Ferrante, F.M. (2001). The effect of ethnicity on the treatment of low back pain. Abstract presented at the 2001 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. New Orleans, LA.

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