Arthritis is an autoimmune and inflammatory condition in which your immune system damages healthy cells in your body, leading to inflammation (painful swelling) in the affected areas of your body. 

Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent type of arthritis. Gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus are other kinds. Pain, aching, stiffness, and swelling in or around the joints are all signs of arthritis. Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis can both damage numerous organs and result in extensive symptoms.

Arthritis primarily targets joints, typically several joints at once. Hand, wrist, and knee joints are frequently impacted by rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Joint tissue is damaged in an RA-affected joint due to inflammation of the joint lining. Long-lasting or persistent pain, loss of balance, and deformity can all be caused by tissue injury (misshapenness).

In addition to these tissues, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can harm other organs like the heart, lungs, and eyes as well as other tissues all over the body.

Can genetics can cause arthritis?

Certain kinds of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis and paediatric arthritis, have certain genes associated with them. People with osteoarthritis may inherit a weakened cartilage.

The onset of the disease may be influenced by your environmental factors if you have the gene. For instance, osteoarthritis may result from recurrent joint injuries.

Why is weight gain in arthritis so common?

Unexpected weight loss can be one of the first indications of arthritis, while weight gain following a diagnosis of arthritis is unavoidably prevalent and challenging to deal with. 

Your physical activity and mobility may decline if you have pain or stiff joints. Which makes you less excited to do the activities that you used to enjoy before. Inactivity can increase weight and reduce enjoyment of life.  

In addition to raising the risk of further complications, being overweight may exacerbate the symptoms of arthritis including heart disease, diabetes and hypertension.

Even if you have always maintained a healthy weight. When signs and symptoms flare up drugs need to start which interferes with the number on the scale and starts to rise. It happens because you did not put on weight because of arthritis. In contrast, moving less while you have active arthritis and inflammation (swelling and pain in the joints) can cause you to put on weight especially due to a lack of physical activity. Additionally, some drugs, such as prednisone, might cause weight gain.

If you wish to have a healthy life, especially during arthritis, initially you need to understand the cause and the mechanism of arthritis. It is important to understand your body so that you can prevent or reduce the risk of weight gain during arthritis. This will help you to choose lifestyle modification toward a healthy lifestyle to maintain ideal body mass and health to combat arthritis and weight gain.

Many people who are diagnosed with arthritis are between the age of 30-60 years or above. Recent research shows that the early onset of arthritis percentage keeps on increasing among people who are of working age. 

Their ability to work may be restricted by arthritis, or they may be unable to work like they used to do before. Individuals who have arthritis will struggle to do their regular activities like walking from the parking garage to their place of employment, home or climbing stairs.

To reduce the further risk, individuals with arthritis need to perform their everyday activities, which may improve flexibility and reduce pain by strengthening and treatment is important to prevent or delay disability. 

What causes sudden weight gain in arthritis?

Although the illness itself does not make you gain weight. However, arthritis can promote weight gain in several ways by affecting your body and routine. 

Although it is challenging to forecast how each person will cope with their arthritis, some obvious risk factors will raise your likelihood of experiencing sudden weight gain due to arthritis including:

Medication

Not all drugs will slow down your metabolism, however, corticosteroid medication like prednisone is one of the causes of weight gain. It is also one of the main treatments most frequently recommended for chronic inflammation of arthritis.

Unfortunately, the majority of people who use prednisone will gain weight to some extent. Sometimes they gain weight in unexpected body areas like the back of the neck, abdomen, and face. The good news is, if the steroid dosage is reduced, the majority of people will lose the extra weight fast.

Lack of exercises

Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your muscles, joints, and waistline, but when arthritis flares up, it can be challenging. 

Even though you may be aware that taking a fitness class or going for a long walk is better for your body overall, some days it might be difficult to just get up and go outside.

To prevent this try to choose quick-access routines that favour some motions over others if you struggle with weight-bearing movements, tiredness, or range of motion. For instance, you can go on a trip where you can swim laps in the neighbourhood pool or attend a yoga class. However, if you cannot make it, you may work out from home (or at the office) with the help of an elliptical machine, treadmill, or a collection of gentle workout DVDs.

Food habits

Your regular diet can no longer be suitable after you take medications. The side effects of medication and a less active lifestyle lead to weight gain. The excess calories you consume will be retained as body fat because they are not burned up or not used. Your diet must adapt as your body’s requirements and metabolism do.

A healthy diet is a way to go, but when you are used to eating anything you want, it might be challenging to start a completely new menu plan. Learning which foods are “calorie-rich” against “nutrient-dense” is the first step in making wise replacements. Always try to choose well-balanced food in all your meals and avoid deep-fried food, processed food and sugary drinks.

How to lose weight in arthritis?

When a person has arthritis, losing weight can seem like an uphill battle to them. They are suffering from aching, exhaustion, and having a hard time throughout the day. As a result, many arthritis sufferers adopt a reactive rather than proactive regimen. 

It is time to stop that vicious loop. There are certain things he/she can do to shift the scales in their favour when it comes to weight gain for example, consuming the right amount of calories and burning off more calories. They may not be able to manage all the factors.

According to the American College of Rheumatology, patients with arthritis who routinely exercise may have less pain, have more energy, and sleep better.

People with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are advised to engage in low-impact exercises like yoga, tai chi, or swimming, according to 2019 guidelines.

Doctors frequently encourage patients to begin an exercise programme slowly and then gradually increase their intensity. After exercising, apply an ice pack to any heated or swollen joints for 10 to 15 minutes to relieve discomfort and swelling.

A healthy diet also contributes to helping people lose weight. Exercise and living a healthy lifestyle are more likely to help people lose weight and keep it off than rigorous diets, which can be more difficult to stick to.

The Arthritis Foundation (AF) recommends the following actions to shed pounds without dieting. Usually, arthritis patients are obese but some are underweight. If they lose weight it causes other health issues and the following actions make them healthy and maintain their weight without dieting.

• Use smaller plates – Using a smaller plate may cause a person to consume up to 20% less food.
  
  
• Hydrate well – Before a meal, drinking water can help people feel satiated more quickly.
  
  
• Obtaining sufficient sleep – Lack of sleep can reduce the body’s synthesis of leptin, a hormone that makes individuals feel full. Additionally, it boosts the body’s production of the hormone ghrelin, which promotes appetite.
  
  
• Mindful eating – Many individuals eat while watching television, which can make them forget how much they are eating. Taking their time and eating thoughtfully can help people consume fewer calories.

Ways to prevent weight gain in arthritis

More than 50 million adults and 300,000 children in the US suffer from one of the over 100 different kinds of arthritis. The majority of forms, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia, are more common among women. Men are more prone to gout.

According to research, some people are genetically predisposed to developing arthritis. The progression of this condition can be stopped or slowed down by everyday modifications, though.

Diet

• Avoid drinking and consuming excess calories – Limiting liquid food items which have excess calories and make you eat frequently. Instead try to have healthy beverages like tea, citrus juices without sugar and artificial sweeteners and smoothies without sugar. Instead of carbonated beverages and concentrated fruit juices choose homemade fresh beverages which have very less calories at the same time refreshing.
  
  
• Start your meals with vegetables – Avoid big portions of starchy vegetables instead have other vegetables like green leafy vegetables which are rich in fibre and other micronutrients. Choose vegetables which are non starchy because they are rich in fibre which helps to lose weight by preventing the reabsorption of excess fat from the intestine. However, you can also choose vegetables rich in starch but in small portions along with your vegetables.
  
  
• Control your hunger to choose food wisely – Appetisers are typically offered to make you interested in the main dish by getting your mouth watering.  Ask for a cup of vegetable soup or a green salad to start, which will fill your tummy without adding too many calories, rather than grabbing for the bread basket.
  
  
• Eat what you love but make sure to control your portion size – Portion control is very important when it comes to both health and weight management. Ensure that you have a balanced meal with all the food groups in the right portion. To avoid over-nutrition or overeating try to have food in smaller plates and bowls to feel that your plate is already full and have a mindful eating. Which will help you to avoid further serving of the particular food. If you are still feeling hungry you can go for 2-3 portions of vegetables rather than carbohydrates.
  
  
• Choose a diet rich in healthy fats like omega-3 – Healthy fats may help women to prevent or delay rheumatoid arthritis, according to a Swedish study. Omega-3s can be found in many foods, also including foods fortified with vitamins and minerals including yoghurt, eggs, and milk, fish, especially cold-water fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines; nuts and seeds like flaxseed, chia, and walnuts. Also other plant oils like flaxseed, soybean, and canola.

Besides all these, other foods which have benefits are:

• Cherries have anti-inflammatory qualities.
  
  
• Low-fat dairy products can strengthen and enhance bone density in people with arthritis.
  
  
• Broccoli, kale, and other dark green leafy vegetables are rich in minerals which help to strengthen bones and prevent the onset of osteoarthritis.
  
  
• Green tea and garlic are rich in antioxidants which protect cartilage or prevent its damage.
  
  
• Vitamin C found in citrus, such as oranges, prevents inflammation in arthritis.

Exercise

Being physically active or doing exercise regularly is one of the best methods to avoid arthritis. Keeping joints mobile and strengthening the muscles by doing exercise regularly will help Arthritis. Recent research found that doing 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 5 times a week will be more helpful in preventing degenerative disease.

Exercise options include walking, household tasks, and playing with kids or pets. A person who is doing exercise regularly can experience drastic changes in their physical and mental health. They should adjust the exercise’s difficulty according to their age and fitness level.

The most typical cause of osteoarthritis is joint injuries. The muscles that offer balance and stability are strengthened by exercise. Regular moderate-intensity exercise helps the body resist damage.

How do I exercise without risk?

Arthritis pain is reduced by walking. Using these S.M.A.R.T. tips, an elderly couple went for a walk outside and enjoyed the benefits of their physical activity with harmless exercise.

• Start doing the minimum activity by slow walking and try other minimal activities gradually which you can do.
   
• Make sure to adjust your activity level when arthritis symptoms worsen, but make an effort to remain active.
  
  
• Activities should be “joint-friendly” like cycling.
   
• Recognise safe and flat surface places to do exercise and try the ways you like to be active.
  
  
• Talk to a health professional or certified physiotherapist for exercise.
  
  

What kinds of activities should be done?

Use the conversation test to measure the relative level of your activity. 

• In general, you can talk but not sing when doing moderate exercise.
  
  
• You would not be able to speak for more than a few sentences without pausing to catch your breath if you are engaged in strenuous activities.
   

Exercises with low impact on the joints, such as brisk walking, cycling, swimming, water aerobics, light gardening, group fitness programmes, and dance are examples of low-impact aerobic activities.

Yoga, resistance band exercises, and weightlifting are all examples of exercises that build muscle. These can be carried out at home, at a fitness class, or in a gym.

For those who are in danger of falling or have difficulty walking they can choose balanced activities like tai chi, standing on one foot, and reverse walking are beneficial to improve their stability.

What should you do if you get hurt while exercising or afterwards?

After beginning a new physical activity programme, some soreness, stiffness, and oedema are typical. Your joints may need 6 to 8 weeks to adjust to your new activity level, but if you persist with your exercise regimen, you will get long-term pain alleviation.

Here are the tips to manage discomfort during and after physical exercise so you can keep exercising:

• Change your physical activity routine so that you exercise less frequently (fewer days per week) or for shorter durations until your discomfort gets better (less time each session).
  
  
• Try switching to an activity that is easier on the joints, such as water aerobics instead of walking.
  
  
• Warming up and cooling down properly before and after exercising is important.
  
  
• Exercise at a rate that is comfortable for you; you should be able to talk to someone while exercising.
  
  
• Make sure you are wearing comfortable, well-fitting shoes.
  
  

Conclusion 

As we discussed above, joint pain or a disease of the joints is referred to as arthritis. A person might take precautions to avoid developing one of the different kinds of arthritis. However, whether people will develop the illness or not depends on heredity.

Smoking, exercise, and diet all have a significant role in avoiding arthritis. You can try to adopt a low-fat, anti-inflammatory, and omega-3 fatty acid-rich diet. They should make sure to exercise often and maintain a healthy weight in order to keep their joints mobile. Another key strategy for lowering the risk of developing arthritis is to avoid smoking.

Consult a doctor if you are experiencing joint pain, consult a doctor. Early implementation of a therapy programme may stop or reduce joint deterioration.


Varsha M,
Senior Clinical Dietitian, Simplyweight