Do You Suffer from Sharp Knee Pain?

Do you often feel sharp knee pain that just doesn’t go away? Is it a struggle to get up in the morning, with your knees feeling like they’re locked in place?

Maybe it’s painful to kneel down and pick up your daughter or granddaughter, or perhaps every step from your car to the grocery store feels like a marathon.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many people experience this kind of knee pain, especially if they are overweight.

Why Obese People Experience Knee Pain

Knee pain can become a constant part of daily life for those who are overweight.

You might notice swelling and need to ice your knees every night, or you might worry that your knees might give out when you walk.

This pain can be isolating, causing you to miss social gatherings and activities you once loved.

Even if your situation isn’t this severe, being overweight increases the likelihood of knee pain and puts you at a high risk of developing knee osteoarthritis.

Understanding Osteoarthritis

So, what exactly is osteoarthritis? It’s a condition where the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of bones wears down over time.

This can affect any joint but is most common in the knees, hips, hands, and spine.

According to medical research, there’s a 36% increased risk of developing osteoarthritis with every 5 kg weight gain.

Let’s explore how obesity and a higher BMI contribute to this risk.

Mechanical Stress
Increased weight puts extra pressure on weight-bearing joints, especially the knees.
For every pound of weight gain, the force on the knee joint increases by 2-3 pounds when walking. This constant pressure leads to faster wear and tear of the cartilage in the joint.

Biochemical Changes

Adipose tissue (fat) is not just inert; it’s metabolically active and produces various substances, such as pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., TNF-α, IL-6) and adipokines (e.g., leptin, adiponectin).

These substances can promote low-grade systemic inflammation, which can damage cartilage and other joint tissues over time.

Metabolic Factors

Obesity is often associated with metabolic syndrome, which includes insulin resistance, elevated blood glucose levels, and abnormal lipid profiles.

These factors contribute to the degradation of cartilage and joint tissues.

Altered Biomechanics

Excess weight can change how a person walks, known as their gait.

This altered gait pattern can distribute weight unevenly across the joint, leading to localized areas of increased stress and further damage.

Accelerated Aging of Joint Tissues

The combination of mechanical stress and biochemical changes can accelerate the aging process of joint tissues.

The increased stress and inflammation associated with obesity impair the already limited repair ability of cartilage.

Reduced Physical Activity

Obese individuals may be less physically active due to the pain, leading to muscle weakness around the joint, reducing its stability and support.

This inactivity can contribute to more weight gain, perpetuating the cycle.

Breaking the Cycle with Bariatric Surgery

One effective way to break this cycle is through bariatric surgery.

Bariatric surgery can be a real game-changer, especially for those who are severely obese and looking to prevent osteoarthritis.

Here’s why this surgical intervention can make a significant difference:

Every kilogram of weight lost takes about 4 kilograms of pressure off your knees when you walk.

So, imagine if you lose 40 kilograms – that’s 160 kilograms less stress on your knees and hips! Bariatric surgery often leads to significant weight loss, typically around 60-80% of excess weight.

This reduction not only eases the pressure on your joints but also reduces the amount of inflammatory substances produced by fat tissue.

Less fat means less inflammation in your body, including your joints.

With less weight to carry around, you’ll find it easier to move.

This increased activity strengthens the muscles around your joints, providing better support and stability.

Moreover, bariatric surgery can improve conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, both of which are linked to an increased risk of osteoarthritis.

The surgery can also affect hormones that play a role in joint health and inflammation.

Don’t let obesity control your life. Take a step towards better health today.

One of the best bariatric surgeons in India is Dr. Shashank Shah, who has performed over 10,000 bariatric procedures. Schedule your consultation here.

Gastric bypass with no side effects, is it possible? Gastric bypass is a surgical procedure that creates a stomach pouch, separating a small portion of the stomach from the rest of the organ. This pouch is connected to a part of the small intestine, allowing food to enter the newly created stomach through the food pipe and rapidly into the intestine. The bypassed part of the stomach and intestine is essential for absorption of fats and nutrients, such as vitamin B12, calcium, magnesium, and folic acid.

This quick food movement stimulates L cells in the last part of the small intestine to secrete hormones like GLP1, which improve metabolism and suppress appetite, and enhance anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects. This metabolic process is based on hormonal activity and may evolve with further modifications.

New bypass procedures, inspired by Sergio Santoro’s bipartite transport concept*, allow food to pass through the stomach and intestines without division. This allows nutrients to be absorbed as part of the food passes through the natural pathway. A smaller portion of food passes through the newly-made connection, stimulating the secretion of hormones GLP1 and PYY, which promote metabolism and enhance anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects. This true metabolic process is based on hormonal activity and not dependent on preventing food from being absorbed. Sergio Santoro’s work had inspired the development of many new procedures**.

LOC Healthcare LLP has been offering these procedures for four years with excellent results, demonstrating that these bypass procedures have no nutritional side effects.

Obesity is a complex disease involving genetics, metabolism, hormones and life style. Morbid obesity which is also termed as severe obesity is a disease and it is approved as a disease by all medical councils, insurance companies, Govt, etc.

Just like any other diseases, IRDAI, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India have approved morbid obesity as a disease. Hence treatment for morbid obesity including metabolic and bariatric surgery is covered under insurance.

What is morbid obesity :

Asian and Indian guidelines state that anyone with a BMI of 32.5 with obesity associated conditions or anyone with a BMI of 37.5 or above is termed to have morbid obesity.
However, Indian insurance companies have limited the insurance cover for the following:

• Anyone with a BMI above 40kg/m2 with obesity induced symptoms
• Anyone with a BMI above 35 with either uncontrolled type 2 diabetes or severe sleep apnoea or coronary heart disease.

Note : There is no definition for ‘severe’ sleep apnoea and hence a document or report or a specialist certificate is necessary.

Uncontrolled diabetes is when the HbA1c, or three months average sugar is above 7, or multiple blood sugar levels are very high; in spite of medical treatment for diabetes.
It is important to preserve all earlier medical record including prescriptions, doctors consultation notes, reports, etc.

Ideally a unit with two bariatric surgeons is preferred so that two bariatric surgeons can certify for the patient.
Patients are expected to preserve all records of earlier weight loss attempts.

Even though severe osteoarthritis, PCOS, migraine, urine incontinence, high lipid levels, knee or spine diseases, etc are also few of the main indications for bariatric surgery, insurance companies in India do not accept these for bariatric surgery cover. It is still recommended to have the documents related to the above as supporting documents.

When can one get insurance cover for bariatric surgery after having the insurance?

Some insurance companies have a waiting period of two to four years after the date of inception, that means from the date on which insurance was first stared.

Corporate insurance does not have any waiting period.

If you are suffering from morbid obesity and associated problems, metabolic and bariatric surgery is the best long term solution for you. If you have a valid insurance cover, you deserve to get insurance cover for the same.