Have you ever experienced knee pain?
The kind that slows you down in life, acts up when you walk up and down the stairs, hurts every time you bend down, aches when you sit, and just generally leaves you feeling frustrated?
Does discomfort in your knees leave you wondering if it’s ever going to ease up?
If that sounds like you, you are not alone!
Painful knees are one of the most common things we see people living with day in and day out. And a lot of people get frustrated because they don’t understand WHY it’s happening.
Some people think knee pain is just a part of ‘getting older’, because a friend or family member told them it happens to everyone.
Some people think knee pain is one of those things that comes and goes, hoping one day they will wake up and it will have magically disappeared … (but it ends up staying longer, and sometimes gets worse).
The sudden onset of knee pain can be confusing. Sometimes it happens because of a nasty fall or a movement you did that set it off. But more often than not we see people suffering from knee pain because of everyday habits we do without even realizing.
That’s why the root cause of knee pain can be so hard to identify. It creeps up on us after years (or even decades) of everyday damage.
Maybe these habits are making your knee pain worse too?
Here are 3 of the most common things we see people doing (without even realizing it) that make knee pain worse…
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Wearing the Wrong Shoes
It’s sad but true, your favorite pair of heels or fancy suit shoes, could be causing your knee pain (and making it worse). We generally associate our shoes with foot pain, but they play a large role in the alignment and stress we put on our knees.
To combat this, wear shoes with cushioning. Shoes with good cushioning can absorb the impact of your foot hitting the ground, preventing the shock from getting to your knees. Specialized inserts (like Orthotics) are perfect for offering more comfort and protecting your knees.
Luckily, many brands are making more supportive dress shoes these days so look for arch support and added cushioning. As for your favorite heels, you don’t have to give them up altogether just save them for special occasions.
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Sitting with Legs Bent
There’s so much ‘gossip’ that surrounds knee pain, but this is fact… you and I were not designed to sit. It goes against every basic, fundamental rule of the way we originally evolved as humans.
When you sit at a desk, or in a chair with your knees bent underneath, you’re stretching ligaments and muscles and placing your knee in a position that is unnatural – and a position knees really aren’t built to be in for too long.
Limit the amount of time you sit with your knees bent, and stretch them out straight as often as possible. There is a reason our knees move like a hinge and we need to keep them moving. Alternate between standing and sitting, and get up for a short stroll several times throughout the day.
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Taking it Easy (a little too easy!)
A lot of people think ‘rest’ is the solution to getting rid of knee pain. But when you’re told to ‘rest’, that doesn’t mean laying on the sofa watching your favorite TV series back to back all day long. It means not over doing.
I’m not saying rest isn’t important – it is! The problem with too much rest is that it makes your joints tight and stiff. Try to do low-impact exercises that don’t put too much strain on your knees.
You could go swimming, enjoy a light walk, yoga, go for a bike ride – all of these exercises are great for fitness and for your knees. Even if you have been told your knee is “bone on bone”, there is a lot you can do to keep moving and maintain your mobility.
Do you find yourself doing any of these things?
If your answer is ‘yes’, putting an end to these three habits today will help ease your knee pain, and stop it from getting any worse than it needs to be.
There’s obviously so much more you can do. . .
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There are specific exercises that will stretch and strengthen the structures and muscles around your knee to give added support.
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Hands on therapy techniques can ease pain and improve movement.
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Further education tailored to your specific concerns and goals can be priceless when it comes it life long knee health.
But these three things we discussed above are the fundamentals and a great place to start. If you apply them daily, you’ll feel a huge difference.
If you would like more information about personalized exercise progressions or hands on treatment from a specialist, request a Free Discovery Visit with a Knee Pain Expert. In this session, we can get to the root cause of your problem and identify the next best step to decreasing pain, improving movement, and getting you closer to your goals.
