Are your Knees GOOD or BAD, HAPPY or SAD?
Knee pain is extremely common. Most of us have a bit of it.
When it bends, it can go from straight to about 140° so that the heels hit the buttocks. When walking, it only bends to approximately 20°. So, this is a HAPPY KNEE!!!
At some point of our lives, our knees become dissatisfied! SAD!!! As a result, we begin to feel down.
But how do they go wrong?
Arthritis is caused by Excessive wear and tear. An awful term that we hear so much about and associate with the end of our sporting career, walking sticks, surgery and other debilitating images.
Cartilages are the first line of defence but actual trauma to the bony joint surfaces leads to Osteoarthritis.
In England, it is estimated that 7.4 million people over the age of 45 suffer from Osteoarthritis.
Some people have mild symptoms. For others the pain, stiffness and swelling can be severe. You may feel pain all the time even lying-in bed, most tender along the inside joint line but the whole knee can be painful. Pain may also arise during and after physical activity, walking up/ down stairs, squatting, sitting with the knees crossed.
When the condition progresses, the skin may appear unhealthy, shiny and papery quality. At times, extremely hot to the touch. This is an indication of inflammation occurring beneath the surface. Occasionally, the joint makes grating and rustling sounds.
If the kneecap is irritated, this can lead to damage to the knees as well. This occurs when the underside of the kneecap rubs on the leg bones.
Knee cartilage degeneration is another factor that contributes to knee pain. Degeneration occurs when cartilages become bruised and chipped. This can happen when the knee gives way during an unguarded movement.
There is no reason why you should give up your physical activity.
Should painkillers be your knees saver?
Exercise-therapy and weight control are the best osteoarthritis treatments to start with. NOT PAINKILLERS!!! and therefore joint replacement surgery should be a last resort.
Exercise builds muscles and can help people maintain a healthy weight, which is important to manage osteoarthritis. You do not get more osteoarthritis from being physically active!!!
What helps?
- If you are experiencing discomfort, consider an anti-inflammatory gel or cream or taking an ibuprofen or similar type of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID)
- Visit a healthcare professional who would be able to review your condition and provide you with physical activity support.
- Low impact exercises such as walking, cycling and exercising in water are GOOD!!!
- Stronger muscles help keep your joints healthy. Strengthening exercises working major muscle groups can help maintain and improve muscle strength to support and protect the affected joint.
- Losing weight significantly reduces pain in most cases. Losing 5% of body weight can provide significant pain relief. Losing 10% of body weight can provide 50% pain relief and reduce the likelihood of a knee replacement.
When it comes to alleviating knee pain, we’d be happy to provide you with more details about our services.
Please get in touch if you would like a copy of our Knee Pain guide or to tell us about your knee pain:
