How our Physio’s can help weight management.

14 Jan How our Physio’s can help weight management.

Most people are already aware, carrying excess weight can have a negative impact on your health.  Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.

So how does this relate to physiotherapy?

There are several different issues around weight that can impact physiotherapy intervention and even be the cause for patients to need to see a physiotherapist.

For example, type 2 diabetes can increase your risk of developing adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder) as well as impacting the length of time it takes your tissue to heal.

Carrying excess weight can put more pressure on your joints, which can increase your risk of osteoarthritis.  This can start off a vicious cycle of pain causing reduced mobility, which then causes weight to increase, leading to more pain and reduced mobility.

Reduced mobility can decrease the mobility in your joints, and strength of your muscles which means your joints are less well supported and therefore can become more painful.  It also increases your risk of falls.

Many patients who have issues with weight and pain come to us and describe feelings of frustration, they have been told or know they need to lose weight, but are in too much pain to start exercising.

Working with a physiotherapist can help these issues by giving you more specific exercises to help with your aches and pains and help give you guidance into becoming more active to help with weight loss, which will in turn help your aches and pains!