According to the article “Knee Osteoarthritis: Biomechanical Risks” by Deborah Pate, DDC DACBR. 12% of the US population, ages 25-75 years old has symptoms of Osteoarthritis (OA). Do you fall into that category? Pate states that there are three major risk factors associated with the development of OA in the knees:
1. Body-mass index (BMI)
2. Trauma
3. Heredity
“BMI is by far the biggest factor in the disease process”, states Pate. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from your weight and height. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems.
Being overweight increases the overall load on the knees and accelerates the progression of OA. Misalignment of the knees, ankles and feet are also contributing factors to OA. That’s why it’s so important to make sure that you take proper care of your knees, ankles and feet. Keeping them aligned and strong will help keep you pain free and may help you avoid OA.
Working to reduce your BMI can also help stop the progression of OA. Eating right, exercising and making sure your knees, ankles and feet are all in alignment can really help keep you healthy and happy. If you are looking for ways to improve the way you eat, read my blog post: “Who’s Your Nutritionist?”
You can calculate your BMI here (see code for widget on next page):
(Or use this website if the widget doesn’t work):
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.html
Are you satisfied with your BMI? If not, how what are you going to do to change it? If you are, what are you going to do to maintain it?
About Dr. Deborah Pate
Deborah Pate is a licensed chiropractor and a diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Radiology. A 1982 graduate of National College of Chiropractic, she was the first chiropractor accepted into a fellowship in osteoradiology at the medical center of the University of California, at San Diego.
Although it’s a highly technical, you can read the entire article at:
http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/column.php?c_id=1530
More about Dr. Katie Griffin
Dr. Griffin is passionate about her work as a Santa Cruz chiropractor and has been committed to providing the holistic care and attention patients need since 1990. When asked why she cares so much, Dr. Griffin says with a smile,
“I just love to help people, whether I help them or refer them to the person who does, I’m confident they will recover quickly and their pain will be gone”.
