When a higher body fat percentage helps you in rehab
This is not medical advice. Consult your therapist and doctor.
In the last article I talked about the role of genetics and stress in attempts at weight loss. Today I want to tell you about some patterns I’ve noticed in rehab.
The first example concerns joint replacement rehab. I’m guessing I’ve seen about a thousand patients after they have had a total knee replacement. Most outcomes are very good, with people happy that they are no longer in pain. No where in this article will I be suggesting that you not consider a joint replacement. That decision is between you and your doctor. Many people require joint replacements to be able to sleep and resume normal activities.
There is a curious pattern that I’ve noticed over the years. There are some people with a higher percentage of body fat, who may not be in great shape going into surgery. And some of those patient’s sale through rehab. They have very little pain, and very good range of motion.
Sometimes there is another subset of patient’s, who are in very good shape, and athletic, still skiing or playing pickle ball. Some of these people have more pain and more difficulty in rehab.
This doesn't make sense. You would think that the people in better shape would fair better after surgery. My theory is that sometimes more body fat cushions the blow of surgery.
Your body does not understand that surgery is beneficial. Your body only responds to stimuli. It is responding to what it thinks is trauma, with inflammation, which is the beginning of the healing process.
I have seen some skinny knees with relatively more pain and less ROM. I am not suggesting that you eat Ben and Jerry’s before surgery. Every patient needs to train to get in really good shape before surgery.
I am merely pointing out our bodies reaction to surgery, and the buffer of body fat.
The second situation involves older patients, usually over the age of seventy. Some parts of the population do not retain body fat, and lose muscle mass as they age. They can reach a critical mass where they do not have enough body fat to maintain their health.
Those extra calories help maintain several important functions. One is that fat is cushioning for falls and bruises. Body fat can help to cushion falls, and possibly prevent broken hips.
The second scenario is similar to my first article about survival. Extra calories help to maintain bone and muscle density. There are many elderly patients who have conversations with their doctor about increasing caloric intake to improve their health. Sometimes these patient aren’t hungry, for a variety of reasons.
In the end, optimal health involves a balance of body fat percentage.