Weight loss from bariatric surgery diminishes many illnesses, including type-2 diabetes, hypertension, and Knee pain. But it is not clear that pain relief after weight loss is solely related to decreased mechanical loading. Therefore, Stefanik JJ et al. demonstrated that individuals who underwent bariatric surgery showed an improvement in pain sensitization, reflected by improvements in Pressure pain threshold (PPT).

To assess the changes in pain and pain sensitisation among obese individuals with knee pain going through the bariatric surgery compared with identically obese persons going through medical management.

The subjects going through medical management and bariatric surgery were selected.  WOMAC was used to assess the knee pain severity of the more painful knee (index knee) at baseline and one year. Pressure pain threshold (PPT) was determined at the right wrist and the index patella. Low wrist PPT may reflect central sensitisation and low patella PPT may reflect peripheral and/or central sensitisation mean change in estimate of pain and pain sensitisation evaluated in the medical management and surgery group separately.

The analysis was completed by a total of 22, and 45 participants went through medical management and surgery groups, respectively. The mean weight loss by the participants of medical management and surgery groups was 4.6 and 32.7 kilograms, respectively. Only the surgery group showed a reduction in knee pain. The patients of the surgery group showed 30.9% and  38.5% improvement in the PPT at the wrist and patella, respectively. Medical management group exhibited no change in the PPT.

Bariatric surgery is associated with improved pain sensitisation and central sensitisation.