How Can Weight Loss Help in Pain Management?
In the case of patients and their doctors, one area is often overlooked: weight management. While work on a weight management plan will probably not provide instant relief, research appears to show that there is a strong relationship between carrying extra pounds and how much we get hurt – and even a modest weight loss can help reverse things.
It may happen as pain management doctors may feel uncomfortable to talk about your weight at the test room, especially when your visit is about a pain issue, if your doctor has never mentioned this to you. Speaking about weight is often a sensitive matter, and pain management doctors can get away with it out of their fear that they will hurt a patient's feelings or become insensitive.
However, it is important to have a conversation. Because overweight can affect how we experience pain significantly. An extra weight of the body increases mechanical forces on the body's frame, which may result in additional wear and tear, including the knee-hip, back and supporting groups of the muscles. Studies suggest that dropping just one pound can reduce knee pressure by up to four pounds, and the more weight you lose for people with arthritis, the more your pain relief and daily function will improve. Extra weight seems to increase inflammation in sensitive parts of the body like dull joints, particularly in the abdominal area.
Weight Loss and Less Pain
Change the mentality from quick diet, the difference in long-term success to a permanent change in your eating habits. Learn from past errors and don't give up, despite trying on losing weight in several ways.
Create long-term and short-term objectives before starting a weight loss program. Good general objectives are to practice more often or eat healthy snacks, but you can reach them better by setting weekly objectives in a narrower manner. For example, you decide to eat a daily additional portion of vegetables rather than starch. Or substitute a cup of juicy berries than a slice of cake to dessert.
Win the race slowly and consistently. Avoid changing the overall diet radically. Begin by improving and moving on to what you eat for breakfast.
Make the portions of your food appealing with the addition of colorful fruits and vegetables. They are full of nutrients and fiber, so that you feel fuller and snack less between foods.
Before every meal, drink a large glass of water. Research showed that people who drink water intake around 75 less calories in their meals before a meal. This is 14 pounds lost over a year's time!
Contact our back pain specialist in OKC at Oklahoma Pain Treatment. Our back pain specialist would help you conquer pain while losing weight.
**Disclaimer: This blog post does not establish terms of a doctor-patient relationship and is not intended to be taken as a doctor's advice.