The other day we received a phone call from one of our clients, Maria..
She’s aged 67 from Ashfield, and said…
“Over the weekend I spent a fair bit of time out and about shopping in the city, I would have walked for at least 4 hours. I was fine until I got home, after which I sat down for a rest and after about 30 minutes, my knees had a dull aching pain on the inside.
At first I just ignored it, recognizing I had probably overdone in, but the pain got worse as the night went on, and it was still aching the next morning.
I am now finding it hard to walk up and down stairs and it aches with prolonged sitting – what should I do?”
Now, this isn’t uncommon… especially NOT after the weekend!
This is a very common story we hear in the clinic. Particularly over the weekend, as people are more likely to be active (far more than their weekly activity levels)
Unfortunately, too many people are living with daily frustrating knee pain, the type of pain that stops them from participating in everyday functional tasks such as going for a walk with friends or walking up a steep hill, completely unaware that the majority of knee pain can be treated conservatively quite effectively.
So in this week’s blog I will let you know on three ways that physio is used to treat knee pain so that if you, or someone you know is suffering, they can implement these tips to have a reduction in symptoms.
Tip 1:
What kind of shoes do you wear day to day?
Believe it or not, the shoes you wear can have a big impact on all sorts of pain – knee, back, ankle… But when it comes to knees, wearing shoes with a heel (or a shoe that makes you walk differently) can encourage tight calf muscles and put pressure on your knee joint.
Would you believe me if I told you that the shoes you wear can have a big impact on your knee pain? I have written about this before, specifically around the particular brand of shoes which is becoming more and more common these days (and funnily enough so is knee pain).
It is simple: less supportive shoes = more knee pain
So, wear a good quality, supportive shoe (see blog here on correct footwear)
Tip 2:
The natural tendency when you have knee pain, is to completely rest and do nothing.
Unfortunately, this is a recipe for further issues down the track.
What we know from research, is that the stronger and more flexible your muscles are, the more likely you are to overcome knee pain.
So, short term rest periods during more intense pain is completely fine, but too much rest can actually make knee pain worse.
My advice would be to speak to a physio about what exercises are safe to do, and then gently implement these on a daily basis to keep your muscles strong and flexible.
Tip 3:
My favourite functional exercise which helps with knee pain is the sit-to-stand. It is amazing to see how many people with knee pain struggle to get out of a chair due to pain and weakness.
Although you may find this task easy (if you don’t have knee pain or leg muscle weakness) you can make it harder by sitting in a lower chair or performing more repetitions (15 – 30).
If you have knee pain, simply begin with a higher chair, and less reps and remember do not push through pain.
So there you have it, 3 very effective tips to reduce knee pain now. If you would like to find out more about ways to ease knee pain, then call the clinic and request our free knee pain guide