The study, published in the open-access journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, showed that reducing belly fat may help reduce chronic musculoskeletal pain, especially if it occurs in multiple locations on the body, especially in women.
Musculoskeletal pain, which affects approximately 1.71 billion people globally, affects the bones, joints, ligaments, tendons or muscles.
Previously published research has shown that obesity is linked to musculoskeletal pain, but it is unknown whether excess fat tissue is associated with chronic musculoskeletal pain in multiple locations in the body, said researchers from the universities of Tasmania and Monash in Australia.
"Abdominal adipose tissue was associated with chronic musculoskeletal pain, suggesting that excessive and ectopic fat deposition may be involved in the pathogenesis of multisite and widespread chronic musculoskeletal pain," the team said.
He suggested reducing belly fat to manage chronic pain.
The data analyzed in the study included 32,409 participants (51 percent) who were women and their average age was 55 years.
All participants had their abdomen measured to measure the amount of fat around abdominal organs (visceral adipose tissue or VAT) and the amount of fat that could be pressed just beneath the skin (subcutaneous adipose tissue or SAT). Got MRI scan done.
About 638 people were re-evaluated after two years.
The team found a significant association between the number of chronic pain sites and VAT, SAT, the ratio of both, and weight (BMI).
The findings showed that women were twice as likely to be affected as men.
The researchers reported that women may be more affected due to gender differences in fat distribution and hormones.
However, he added, "This is an observational study, and thus, cause and effect cannot be established".
Musculoskeletal pain, which affects approximately 1.71 billion people globally, affects the bones, joints, ligaments, tendons or muscles.
Previously published research has shown that obesity is linked to musculoskeletal pain, but it is unknown whether excess fat tissue is associated with chronic musculoskeletal pain in multiple locations in the body, said researchers from the universities of Tasmania and Monash in Australia.
"Abdominal adipose tissue was associated with chronic musculoskeletal pain, suggesting that excessive and ectopic fat deposition may be involved in the pathogenesis of multisite and widespread chronic musculoskeletal pain," the team said.
He suggested reducing belly fat to manage chronic pain.
The data analyzed in the study included 32,409 participants (51 percent) who were women and their average age was 55 years.
All participants had their abdomen measured to measure the amount of fat around abdominal organs (visceral adipose tissue or VAT) and the amount of fat that could be pressed just beneath the skin (subcutaneous adipose tissue or SAT). Got MRI scan done.
About 638 people were re-evaluated after two years.
The team found a significant association between the number of chronic pain sites and VAT, SAT, the ratio of both, and weight (BMI).
The findings showed that women were twice as likely to be affected as men.
The researchers reported that women may be more affected due to gender differences in fat distribution and hormones.
However, he added, "This is an observational study, and thus, cause and effect cannot be established".
