We’ve known for a while that obesity has links to preventable chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Research shows there are connections between obesity and different types of chronic pain as well.
The good news is that making gradual, stepwise changes can reduce pain, promote overall health, and improve your quality of life.
How Are Weight and Chronic Pain Linked?
According to the Mayo Clinic, obesity is a cause of metabolic syndrome, a group of tied conditions including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and other chronic conditions. Studies have also shown that obesity and pain are interconnected and influence one another.
What happens with one affects the other?
Migraine, arthritis, and different chronic conditions can cause both physical and emotional symptoms. Extra weight also puts pressure and stress on joints, increases pain sensitivity, reduces flexibility, causes inflammation, poor sleep, and affects quality of life.
Common types of chronic pain linked to obesity include:
Diabetic neuropathy
Arthritis
Depression
Migraine
Scientists don’t understand the exact relationship between weight and migraine, but studies show there are environmental, genetic, and lifestyle connections. According to the American Migraine Foundation, obesity increases the risk of migraine by 50% percent, and the risk is much higher with a BMI over 40. Scientists believe hormones, specific proteins known as cytokines, and inflammation may all play a part.
How Weight Loss Can Reduce Migraine
A study examined the effect of weight loss on four headache elements: duration, frequency, severity, and disability. The research showed that weight loss improved all four outcomes, with the most significant improvement in headache severity. The improvement did not, however, directly reflect the amount of weight loss or the starting weight. In other words, weight loss improves pain symptoms regardless of the amount of loss or how loss happened. A drop in pro-inflammatory cytokines plays a significant role in pain.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an auto-immune condition that causes swelling and pain in the joints. Genetics, gender (females have a higher risk), stress, the environment, and obesity all play a role. Obesity raises the risks of developing RA, changes how some medications work, and negatively affects the path of the condition.
Diet and nutritional quality play a key role in both RA and obesity. Foods with poor nutritional value, such as fast foods, foods high in saturated and trans fats, and high-carbohydrate diets, can all increase weight and cause inflammatory responses in joints. Poor diet also causes tiredness, leading to inactivity and weight gain.
Adipokines/Hormones
A study suggests that a group of hormones called adipokines may play a role in inflammation and immunity. These hormones regulate inflammation and your body’s immune response. Adipokines can cause joint inflammation and insulin resistance, making your body work harder. A higher BMI limits physical activity, increases pain, and leads to poor quality of life.
Improving Chronic Pain Through Lifestyle Choices
Keep in mind that the connection between weight and chronic pain is not one-dimensional. Nutrition, physical activity, and lifestyle are all components of overall health function. When weight shifts up or down, it can improve or worsen pain symptoms and pain management.
Focusing on improving your quality of life – such as participating in activities you enjoy each day – can lead to weight loss as a side benefit. While it’s not easy to change lifestyle habits quickly, having a plan and a thoughtful approach can net positive results in weight loss, leading to more energy, less pain, and an overall healthier mindset.
Nutrition
Your diet plays a major role in how you feel and manage your weight. Studies show that an anti-inflammatory diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids like fish oil is beneficial. For example, following the Mediterranean diet, which includes green vegetables, olive oil, lean meats, and fish, helps reduce inflammation and even reverses damage from chronic pain conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. Be mindful of what and how much you eat to improve your habits.
Avoid foods high in gluten, which is known to increase inflammation and neuropathic pain. Reduce your intake of processed, high-carbohydrate foods or fast foods. Proper nutrition can lower weight and improve health outcomes for chronic pain and other linked metabolic syndrome conditions like heart disease and diabetes.
Distracted eating can lead to eating more and weight gain. Mindful eating with a focus on food taste can reduce snacking, improve weight loss goals, and help maintain a healthy weight long term.
Exercise
There are several proven benefits to movement, outdoor recreation, and physical activity for those with chronic pain syndromes. Along with healthy nutrition, exercise can help reduce pain and increase flexibility, balance, and strength. Studies show that outdoor activities also increase the level of Orexin A—this neuropeptide helps to regulate many brain and body functions, like sleep and appetite.
Regular physical activity, such as walking, water activities, and aerobic exercises like light weight lifting, yoga, or Pilates, for at least 30 minutes five days a week can reduce inflammation and stress and improve immunity and associated pain.
Sleep
Proper sleep duration and quality are essential for physical and emotional well-being, and adequate sleep can help with weight loss.
Some steps you can take to improve sleep are to:
keep a regular sleep schedule
avoid blue light from smart devices before bed
keep the bedroom cool
get exercise and natural light in the daytime
avoid eating or drinking close to bedtime
Poor sleep increases BMI and changes levels of hormones ghrelin and leptin, which control appetite. Lack of good quality sleep can also lead to insulin resistance, causing weight gain.
The Bottom Line
Remember that obesity and pain are connected; one affects the other in complex ways. Improving eating habits, increasing physical activity, and managing your mental health can result in weight loss, which will help improve pain. All of these activities can also help reduce stress, which, when heightened, can impact pain levels.
With reduced pressure on joints and lower levels of inflammation in your body, you’ll also be able to potentially slow the progression of other metabolic disorders like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
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