A first-of-its-kind study has found a link between carrying extra fat in the gut and widespread chronic pain, with reductions in body fat correlating with lessening pain.
Reducing excess body fat in multiple areas was further linked to more reductions in pain—with the association between excess abdominal fat and chronic pain strongest in women, according to the researchers (Reg Anesth Pain Med 2024 Sep 10. doi:10.1136/rapm-2024-105535).
Reducing excess fat deposits in the abdomen may help