Knee Pain Injuries

Knee injuries are becoming common among many people, especially among elderly people. It is true that it is quite hard to deal with any type of pain. Talking more about knee-related pain, it can adversely affect your life by limiting your ability to walk and move around with comfort. Bad knees can develop a lot of discomfort. When suffering from pain, you will not be able to be in a position to do what seemed to look like small chores.

A recently conducted research is showing that around 40 percent of people who visit doctors generally have knee pain. If you are suffering from the same condition and want to bring your life back on track, well this article is for you. This kind of condition is not a big deal. With some care and precaution, you can easily lower the pain of your knee.

What is Knee Injury or Pain?

Knees are tremendously prone to injuries. The reason behind this is they have complex structures, and consists of bone, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. The knees generally undergo a lot of stress. Pain in knees can be caused by different factors like a sudden injury, an overuse injury, or by an underlying condition, for example, arthritis. Treatments greatly depend on the causes and symptoms. You need to take extra care of your knees by taking the right preventive measures.

Symptoms of Knee Pain

Signs and symptoms of knee pain include:

You need to be aware of the symptoms of knee injuries and what are knee pain diagnosis. So, that you can deal with the situation without any issues.

When Should You Visit a Doctor?

• If you are unable to put your weight on your knee.
• If you are suffering from knee swelling.
• If you are not able to completely extend the knee.
• If there is a deformity in your knee.
• Have a fever along with swelling and pain in the knee.

Risk Factors Related to Bad Knees

There are some factors which can increase your risk of getting knee problems. Such as:

Being overweight increases the level of stress on the knee. Your excess weight will put more stress on the joints of the knee while performing normal activities like walking, moving around, etc. Besides this, overweight condition increases the risk of osteoarthritis as it damages the joint cartilage.

A lack of strength and flexibility are some primary causes of bad knees. Tight or weak muscles provide less support to your knee as the muscles don't absorb enough stress on the joint.

There are some types of sports which will put a lot of stress on the knees. Such sports are alpine skiing, basketball, etc. can a put severe amount of stress on the knee while jumping and running.

If you have suffered from a previous knee injury, it is more likely that you will injure your knee again while performing a certain task.

Some Useful Tips to Gain Confidence for Walking While Suffering from a Knee Injury

If you are looking for perfect shoes which can offer your knees maximum comfort, go for the shoes which are flat and flexible. You should completely avoid shoes with high heels and pointy toes. Use the shoes based on your knee pain diagnosis and doctor’s advice. Buy the shoes with a wide toe box. The heels of the shoes should not be more than three-quarters of an inch in height for casual shoes.

When suffering from osteoarthritis, the cartilage, a springy tissue in your joints which functions as a shock absorber for your knees may get damaged. When this happens, you will feel pain and will face issues while moving your legs or knees. In such condition, you need to rebuild the cartilage. The sponge-like cartilage gets nutrients from the compression and decompression when you walk. So, you need to do exercise regularly.

During the condition of bad knees, you should avoid arch supports and shoes which come with a high amount of arch support level. You need to move your foot naturally and practice this regularly. If you want, use over-the-counter orthotics which provide cushioning and support. But make sure to consult a doctor for this.

Starting at an easy pace will be better for you if you have stiff or sore joints. Start slowly and let your joint fluid moving. After a few minutes, you can speed up your pace.

Using a heating pad to rest your knee can help you keep the joint from stiffening up. While applying heat therapy, you can use a gel-style cold pack to reduce pain and swelling. There should be a perfect alteration between cold and heat. But, first, you need to understand the reason behind the pain through knee pain diagnosis.

Walking on natural surfaces is easier on the joints. Even though they are uneven, not completely flat, they will give you more balance to exercise naturally during walking. For even surfaces, pick a cinder track at a school or community park. If you have a choice, prefer to choose an asphalt path instead of a dirt path. In malls and stores, you will get concrete flooring.

If you are practicing walking for the first time, then build up a walking time following a plan for beginners. You can divide the entire duration into 10-minute parts. You can fix a goal like a 30-minute work per day will be enough. Start with easy and moderate speed and gradually increase the speed. Start with 2.5 to 3.5 mph.

Depending on knee pain cause, the doctor may recommend using knee support which can lower the pain. For instance, if you have patellar tendonitis, the doctor may advise you to use supportive taping and patellar tendon straps. In the case of the prepatellar syndrome, you can use light wrapped elastic bandage to lower the pain.

Some studies have proved that people who are suffering from bad knees benefit most when they walk around for 6000 steps in a day. To track your steps, you can use a pedometer and phone apps. Make this as your first goal, and if possible, you gradually increase the steps. But keep it under your comfortable zone.

If you feel more pain and stiffness during the morning time, simply get up and move around for a few minutes. When you have low pain, you can enjoy a long walk and that will help you to stick with your routine.

It's good to move the joint fluid by walking and doing exercise. If you feel any pain, you can apply cold packs after walking to lower the level of inflammation.

Don’t hesitate to use trekking poles or Nordic walking poles which offer you great stability. Such walking poles dramatically reduce joint fatigue during walking. You can use canes and other support devices based on your condition.

Most of the doctor will advise you to do cycling every day. Cycling can help you keep your opposing muscles in shape. It also strengthens the muscle and joint of your knee.

Being overweight can be the reason behind your knee pain. So, if you have excess weight, you should reduce stress on your knees by lowering your weight.

For weight loss, you need to have a perfect diet. When you have a perfect weight, you will be able to walk and exercise without suffering from much pain.

Get up and move around for 15 minutes. With this, you will be able to keep your joint fluid moving and nourish the joint of your knees. Don’t sit idle for a long time.

Before performing the remedies, you need to talk to your doctor and should go through a proper knee pain diagnosis. You can go for some types of medications to lower the pain level of your knee.

References

1..https://www.verywellfit.com/tips-for-walking-when-you-have-bad-knees-4147680

2..https://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/features/knee-pain-walk#1