Knee pain can affect you in more ways than one.
It can completely hinder your day-to-day life and can make everything from routine chores to simply going up and down your stairs nearly impossible.
A person of any age can suffer from knee pain.
Everyone from high school athletes, marathon runners, office workers, and nursing home residents, anyone can develop knee pain.
Arthritis, injuries, cartilage damage, and more can put you on the sidelines with extreme pain.
Without even knowing it, there are some things you could be doing that is making your knee pain worse.
We’ll go over a few of them in the article below.
You Sit For Long Periods of Time
When we’re in pain, our first instinct is to rest the injured area. Knee pain is no different.
However, resting too much can weaken your muscles and make knee pain worse.
You should find a way to keep your knee active without causing further damage or increasing your pain.
Good, low-impact exercises for knee pain are walking, swimming, cycling, and water aerobics.
These exercises will help you maintain your overall fitness while increasing the range of motion and strengthening the muscles around your knee and supporting the knee joint.
Rest is a critical part of recovering from a knee injury, but too much is detrimental, and could be whats making your knee pain worse.
If your doctor has cleared you for exercise, do your best to develop an exercise routine that works for you.
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You Walk Downhill or on Hard Surfaces
When you walk downhill or downstairs, you’re putting additional stress and pressure on your knees.
This isn’t always avoidable, but you should avoid steep slopes and opt for flat surfaces if you can.
If you have stairs at home, try to avoid them as much as you can.
If you plan on walking or jogging to exercise your knee, avoid cement and pavement in favor of something with a little bit of bounce or give, like a running track or trail.
Running on hard surfaces will stress your knees.
How much you can run on hard surfaces will depend on your level of damage and pain.
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You Ignore your Body
Working through pain might be nice for motivational posters, but in reality, it’s not very good for your body.
Pain is your body’s way of telling you something isn’t right, so it shouldn’t be ignored.
Ignoring your pain and just pushing through it can be very detrimental, and could be what’s making your knee pain worse.
If you have arthritis in your knee or you’ve suffered a minor knee injury, you need to take care of the pain when it arises
Treating the pain when it happens will help you better manage it.
One of the best ways to treat knee pain initially is the “RICE” procedure, which is rest, ice, compression, and elevation.
When your knee hurts, stop what you’re doing and let it rest, keeping it elevated.
Applying ice will reduce inflammation, and you could wear a compression bandage while working out or performing daily tasks.
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You’re Overweight
Every pound you are overweight puts more stress on your knee joints.
About 60% of American adults are overweight or obese, and the added weight will directly impact your joints’ health.
If you have arthritis or you’re suffering from acute knee pain, losing weight can make a big difference for you.
Initial weight loss doesn’t have to be drastic to see improvements.
Losing just a few pounds will help relieve your knee pain and improve your overall quality of life.
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You’re Wearing The Wrong Shoes
Arch support is key because it helps absorb some of the pressure your knees normally take on.
If you have flat feet, consider getting shoe inserts.
If you have arthritis, your doctor can recommend specialty inserts for your shoes.
Avoid walking long distances in flip-flops or other types of shoes that don’t have any support.
Wearing flips flops when you go for your walks isn’t a good idea.
Your shoes need the proper support and shoes with cushioning, so opt for a good pair of athletic sneakers if you are walking for exercise.
The same goes if you choose to wear a knee brace.
Relying on a flimsy, cheap brace isn’t going to help you at all.
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You Have Bad Mechanics
Bad mechanics can have a huge impact on your knee pain, especially if you’re a runner or a high-mileage walker.
Your form when you’re walking or running could be off, and when you use an improper form over and over again, it can cause pain and injury.
Getting a gait analysis from a physical therapist can help pinpoint mechanical issues in the way you walk.
Based on this analysis, your doctor can recommend stretches, gear, and changes to your stride that will improve your mechanics and help alleviate pain.
Check out another Knee Pain Blog: What Does Arthritis in the Knee Feel Like?
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Stop Making your Knee Pain Worse, Get Treatment at Ethos Health Group
If you’ve been dealing with pain for a while and you’re worried you may be making your knee pain worse, Ethos Health Group can help.
They have developed a proprietary HyalRegen-CT method as a comprehensive solution for those suffering from knee arthritis and joint pain.
Lubricating injections will be performed under precision imaging guidance so that the right areas are being targeted.
This advanced medical process serves to add cushioning fluid back into and around your knee, like oil for a squeaky hinge.
Even more exciting, these F.D.A. cleared injections can help your knees stimulate more of their natural fluid, giving you long-term benefits and relief.
If you would like to learn more about knee pain treatment at Ethos Health Group click the button below to schedule a free consultation.
