Know the causes of knee pain
Knowing the cause of your knee pain can help you get better quicker. There are many different reasons for kyphosis (a condition where the spine bends forward) and other spinal issues that can bring about back and joint pain.
Here is what you need to know about the most common reasons for arthritis-related knee pain:
Your knees will hurt if you sit down too quickly or have difficulty rising from a squat position. The more body weight you stand above a surface, the easier it is to raise your leg.
If you walk around much, you’ll experience some soreness between each step. But according to Dr. Yong Ren from The Orthopaedic and Pain Practice Singapore, “Most people develop aches and pains after walking several blocks and then stopping overnight. And while it may be painful initially, getting up and going straight into a shower really helps ease the discomfort.”
He notes that when people feel tired, it is usually because they haven’t had time to acclimatize to the environment. Having muscle fatigue during exercise is also responsible for one’s feeling of exhaustion. So if you want to improve your fitness level — and prevent chronic kidney disease from progressing, you should start by identifying the sources of inflammation within yourself.
Adopt the knee exercise
Most cases of joint pain are due to inflammation or compression of structures within the joint. By having both joints fully functioning, with proper alignment in the sagittal plane (a straight line from front to back), muscle contraction can occur around the joint to stabilize it.
However, in patients who suffer from osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease), this stabilization mechanism is lost. As such, OA makes tissues more susceptible to damage from mechanical stress resulting in bone fragment production, deformation of limb bones, and impaired function.
As we age, our balance/mechanoreceptor sensitivity decreases which may include muscles, nerves, and organs. This results in fewer compensations for disturbed sensory feedback which ultimately may lead to deconditioning of the musculoskeletal system. Deconditioning leads to decreased ability to perform tasks that require movement including exercises.
Vascular sclerosis causes tissue ischemia which contributes to the deterioration of the joint. Ultimately, insufficient nutrition can cause destruction of the cartilage and underlying bone which impairs function.
Consumption of sufficient amounts of nutrients required for skeletal development and maintenance is essential for healthy joint structure and function.
Given that obesity is a growing problem in the United States, additional research is needed to understand how excess body fat correlates to knee dysfunction. Additionally, further study is warranted to determine if surgical reduction of overweight or obese individuals will improve their symptoms
Purchase a knee brace
A knee brace is usually recommended after surgery as well as other forms of chronic pain such as osteoarthritis. It can also help reduce joint swelling and prevent “locking” or painful rigidity, which are both symptoms of acute injury like a broken bone.
A professional brace gives you the best support to keep your knee stable while it heals. Some now come with straps that make them easier to wear during day-to-day activities.
You can find one in a drug store at a price much lower than a custom version. However, there are some benefits to using a customized brace. The material and strap widths may be adjusted to get the perfect fit for keeping the leg healthy and mobile.
Seek a diagnosis
If you are experiencing knee pain, it is important to see a doctor for a definitive diagnosis. Self-diagnosing your condition can be harmful as you may try treatments that don’t fix your problem or worse, make it worse.
There are various causes of knee pain including muscle soreness after exercise, arthritis and other chronic conditions, fracture, inflammation, infection, and more.
Before recommending any treatment options, a medical provider will ask about your history and perform an examination of your knee to determine what is causing your symptoms. During this time, he or she will also take measurements of your leg using a tape measure.
This evaluation helps both you and your doctor diagnose the cause of your knee pain. It also allows them to develop an individualized treatment plan to help keep you healthy and out of the hospital.
Try foot strike therapy
Foot strike is an exercise technique that can help reduce pain from standing or walking for long periods of time. This style of exercise has been used with knee osteoarthritis patients, to improve their quality of life, as well as lower their risk for chronic disease.
Foot strike exercises are ways to strengthen your feet, ankles, and legs. Most involve you wearing shoes without socks about half an hour before you start to feel tired.
You stand in front of a chair with your left leg and then your right leg. With both feet on the ground, push off with your toes and lift your heel just enough to touch the bottom (or close to it). Draw up your knees until you are fully upright at the top, then release your body weight so the chair lowers.
Continue this routine slowly until you have increased your strength and flexibility.
Perform quadriceps exercises
The most important exercise for knee pain is the quadriceps (hamstring) extension. This can be done along with abdominal muscles but may feel more difficult at first.
The hamstring extension helps to lengthen the muscle fibers in the hamstrings that connect the thigh to the lower leg/foot.
These are often the biggest cause of knee pain and other symptoms associated with chronic musculoskeletal discomfort.
Quadriceps extensions can also help improve posture by balancing out the sagittal axis (flexors of the spine).
This will help keep the pelvis level elevated as we get older.
Also known as slouched shoulders, this can contribute to back and joint pain. By doing these extensions it helps to strengthen your core enough to balance this over-active posterior chain.
Perform hamstring exercises
The hamstrings are one of three muscle groups responsible for flexing the knee (the other two muscle groups being the quadriceps and the plantar flexors).
Performing proper stretches to help your hamstrings is an essential part of preventing injury, and not only helps reduce pain from injuries when they occur, but also keeps them from occurring in the first place.
Many people refer to these as “preventative” measures, because they work before the disease or fatigue causing problems that result from aging.
However, you can use some form of stretching regardless of whether your symptoms indicate it is time to see a doctor.
Perform calf raises
The best way to fight knee pain is by performing calves raises both regularly and routinely. To perform this exercise, you can use your leg weight or hold onto something for balance.
With one foot standing back on the floor, lean forward with your injured leg up so that it forms a bridge between yourself and the other foot. Then lift the other foot off the ground.
You should be in contact with the floor at all times while doing these movements. Once you get comfortable with them, increase the difficulty by standing upright with your non-injured leg.
Next, try taking a big step and then a small step, where you keep your feet but move more towards one side or the other. Proceed until you find the strength that you need to support the body part.
Lastly, add some ankle flexion (bend) moves by raising the bent leg without putting too much pressure on it. Hold the position for several seconds, then slowly lower the raised leg. Repetitions of these exercises help train the muscles.
Sit down when you stand up
Whenever possible, try to get into a sitting position right away. This can help prevent knee pain in the first place!
If you’re standing or walking and your knees start to feel too much pressure, take another seat. Or if there is a chair, why not sit down?
Knees love contact with the ground. So do most people’s feet! Getting rid of one leg’s worth of weight off the ground can really make a difference for your knee.
Also being able to rest your legs can help avoid excess stress and friction within your knee.
We hope this article was helpful and informative. Please share this information with your friends and relatives who may be dealing with knee pain.
