Arthritis and Your Weight


Ask the Doc…….
“Is weight the main cause of my arthritic knee?”
The famous Framingham Study found that knees and hips handle loads 2 ½ to 10 times the load of your body weight. So if you are 200 lbs, you may be having as much as 2000 pounds (1 ton) of pressure on your knees when you walk.
But medical facts can be misleading. There are many people who are significantly overweight that have no knee pain, and some who are very slender and have disabling symptoms. I also see many patients who are quite heavy and only have pain in one knee. So again, while it’s fair to say that increased weight is a factor, I don’t believe it’s the major factor, and the nearly 40 years of clinical experience I’ve had, certainly bears this out.
If weight increases joint stress because it puts more pressure on a joint, then logically, anything that increases pressure on a joint would also cause damage. And the factor that causes the most joint damage is not weight but abnormal structure, because the stress caused by abnormal structure is not evenly dispersed. A good example of this would be the tires on your car which obviously have to carry a great deal of weight. When properly aligned, they may last 50,000 miles. But when poorly aligned, they will wear unevenly and far faster, perhaps only lasting 10,000 miles.
A flattened foot or longer leg for example causes a knee to internally rotate (turn inward) and become damaged. Stand on the outside of your right foot and notice that the center of your knee is turned outward. Now flatten that foot, rolling it inward toward your left foot and notice how much this changes the position of your knee. When that knee is turned inward it doesn’t work in the position it’s supposed to and consequently more stress is placed on the inside of it. Now add extra weight and the problem is significantly magnified. This is when additional weight becomes a real factor; when placed on a poorly aligned joint!
So keeping your weight down is advised. But the best thing you can do for your knee pain is to have yourself evaluated structurally. Fixing simple things like a flattened foot or longer leg can make a world of difference in your comfort level. You may even find your golf game improving as well!

A former reconstructive foot and ankle surgeon and past Clinical Instructor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, Dr. Pack practices at MCG Medical Associates, Lake Oconee Village in Greensboro. He specializes in biomechanical structural analysis and works with patients who have arthritis and wish to decrease joint symptoms and remain active. Dr. Pack also treats athletes at all levels. In the 2004 Olympics he had a silver and gold medalist and helps the UGA Golf Team (2005 NCCA National Champions). For further information please see www.drloupack.com, drloupack.blogspot.com or contact him directly at 706-454-0040.