FEELING GREAT: Ease you knee pain during the cold weather

And with that in mind, let me tell you this short story:

I had a lady called Emily, from the Headland, aged 67, call my clinic, and she told me that over the last few days her knee pain has started to flare up. For no apparent reason.

Emily told me that it feels OK during the day, but first thing in the morning, and during the evenings when the temperature drops, her knees start to feel weak and annoyingly painful, especially when she wants to come down the stairs.

Now, this is no surprise. In fact last year, during the winter months, we were flooded with patients complaining about chronic knee pain. All equally confused as to why it didn’t bother them at all during the summer months.

Why is this? Well when it starts to get colder outside, a drop in temperature can cause our joints to swell up, leading to inflammation, and then knee pain.

So what can you start to do right away before your knee pain gets even worse?

Let me share with you three really simple tips that you can start using today to help you cope with knee pain during the colder months.

1. Rest with a pillow between your knees

When you’re laying down on the sofa watching TV, or even when you go to sleep, placing a pillow between your knees can help reduce pain and swelling.

As well as easing the pain, using a pillow will help to keep your knee joint aligned, keeping them protected, (this is especially important as our knees aren’t designed to twist and turn).

2. Apply heat

To give you instant pain relief, I advise my patients to apply a hot water bottle, or a microwavable wheat pack wrapped in a towel to the knee joint which is causing you grief.

Apply the heat to the knees for 10-15 minutes at a time, and you can even repeat this several times a day! Plus it keeps you feeling toasty.

3. Avoid sitting for long periods of time

Here’s a fact that might shock you – your body isn’t designed to sit!

When you’re sitting down with your knees bent, you’re placing your knees in an un-natural position causing the muscles and ligaments around your knees to be stretched.

Now, I’m not saying that you must stand up all day. Of course not … but when you’re sitting down, be aware of the position of your knees, and whenever you can, straighten your knees out so they’re far more relaxed. This is especially helpful if you like to watch a lot of television.

If you want some more tips on how to avoid knee pain? Go to this website www.paulgoughphysio.com/knee-pain where you can download a completely free report on ways to ease chronic knee pain naturally.