Coastal Empire Orthopedics Blog 5 Ways You Could be Making Your Knee Pain Worse
People of all ages suffer from knee pain. Whether you’re a high school athlete, a longtime runner, or a senior adult, anyone can develop knee pain. Knee pain has the power to keep you from enjoying the activities you love and it can significantly impact your quality of life. Arthritis, injury, cartilage damage, and more can quickly put you on the sidelines.
The team at Coastal Empire Orthopedics, led by Jonathan Shults, MD, is equipped with compassionate staff and top technology to diagnose and treat your knee pain. Knee pain can be caused by injury, osteoarthritis, and more. We’re here to help you learn more about your knee pain and what you can do to improve it. While treatment is unique to you, there are some things you might be doing that make your knee pain worse.
1. You sit for long periods of time
If your knee hurts, you might want to stay off of it. But resting too much makes your muscles weaken and often makes knee pain worse. Find a way to get moving without hurting your knee. Some good exercises for people with knee pain include walking, swimming, and water aerobics.
Exercise strengthens the muscles around your knee and helps support the joint. At Coastal Empire Orthopedics, we can help you find the best exercise to keep you moving, even with knee pain.
2. You’re overweight
Carrying extra pounds puts extra pressure on your knees. Nearly 60% of American adults are overweight or obese, and weight directly impacts the health of your joints. If you have arthritis or suffer from knee pain, losing weight can make a big difference for you.
You don’t have to reach your goal weight to see improvements. Losing just a few pounds can help relieve knee pain and it can improve your overall health, too.
3. You wear non-supportive shoes
Wearing high heels, flat shoes, or shoes that are otherwise not supportive can aggravate your knee pain. Cushioned shoe inserts or customized orthopedic inserts can help distribute your weight and take stress off your knees.
If your knee pain is severe, consider taking pressure off your knee with a walking aid. Using a crutch or cane can make walking easier and help you manage your knee pain.
4. You ignore pain flare-ups
If you’re suffering from arthritis or a minor knee injury, you should take care to treat pain flare-ups. Treating the pain when it happens can help manage it. Follow the “RICE” procedure — rest, ice, compression, elevation — to calm your knee pain.
If your knee hurts, stop what you’re doing and rest. Apply ice to reduce inflammation, consider wearing a compression bandage, and elevate your knee when resting.
5. You participate in high-impact activities
It’s important to stay active, and maintaining an exercise routine can actually help knee pain. But high-impact activities can make knee pain worse. Exercise like running, kickboxing, or high intensity interval training (HIIT) can jar your joints and make your knee pain worse. Some stretching exercises, like squats and lunges, can put extra pressure on your knees as well.
Whatever the cause of your knee pain, we can help. Dr. Shults and the team at Coastal Empire Orthopedics offer a range of knee pain treatments for patients. From physical therapy and bracing to reconstruction or knee replacement surgery, we’re committed to getting you back to your active lifestyle.
You shouldn’t have to live with knee pain. Dr. Shults and his team can help diagnose your pain and find a treatment plan that works for you. Get back to enjoying your life with compassionate care at Coastal Empire Orthopedics. Call our Savannah, Georgia, office today or book your first appointment online and start finding relief from your knee pain.
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