FEELING GREAT: Three common mistakes that make knee pain even worse

Painful knees are one of the most common things we see people living with at the Paul Gough Physio Rooms. And a lot of people get frustrated because they don’t understand why it’s happening to them.

Some people think knee pain is just a part of ‘getting old’, because a friend or close family member told them it happens to everyone. Some people think knee pain is one of those things that comes and goes, hoping it’ll magically disappear one day when they wake up (but it ends up staying longer, and sometimes gets worse than it should).

The sudden onset of knee pain can be confusing. Sometimes it happens because of a nasty fall or a movement you did that set it off. But more often than not we see people suffering with knee pain because of everyday habits we do without even realising.

Maybe these habits are making your knee pain worse too? Here’s 3 of the most common habits we see people doing:

Wearing the wrong shoes - It’s sad but true, your favourite pair of heels, or smart suit shoes, could be causing your knee pain (and making it worse).

High heels change the way you walk, as do smart suit shoes that are too tight, placing additional stress on your knees. To combat this, wear shoes with cushioning. Shoes with good cushioning can absorb the impact of your foot hitting the ground, preventing the shock from getting to your knees. Specialised inserts (like Orthotics) are perfect for offering more comfort and protecting your knees.

And about high heels, you don’t have to give them up altogether, save them for special occasions instead.

Sitting with your legs bent - There’s so much ‘gossip’ that surrounds knee pain, but this is fact - you and I were not designed to sit. It goes against every basic, fundamental rule of the way we originally evolved as humans.

When you sit at a desk, or in a chair with your knees bent underneath, you’re stretching ligaments and muscles and placing your knee in a position that is un-natural – and a position knees really aren’t built to be in for too long. Limit the amount of time you sit with your knees bent, and keep them out straight for as long as possible – and keep them moving too.

Taking it easy (a little too easy) - A lot of people we see think ‘rest’ is the solution to getting rid of knee pain. But when you’re told to ‘rest’, that doesn’t mean laying on the sofa watching your favourite TV series back to back all day long. It means not doing ‘too much’.

I’m not saying rest isn’t important – it is! The problem with too much rest is that it makes your joints tight and stiff. Try to do low-impact exercises that don’t put too much strain on your knees.

You could go swimming, enjoy a light walk, do some yoga, go for a cycle – all of these exercises are great for fitness and for your knees.

So, are you doing any of these three things?

If your answer is ‘yes’, putting an end to these three habits today will help ease your knee pain, and stop it from getting any worse than it needs to be. There’s obviously so much more you can do too – like do exercises which have been tailored for you, and your knee pain, by a Physio, and get hands-on specialist treatment.

But these are the fundamentals, and if you apply them daily, you’ll feel a huge difference.

Announcement:

If you want more information on what you can do to recover from Knee Pain, I’d like to invite you to our upcoming Knee Pain event at the Paul Gough Physio Rooms. It’s a FREE event hosted by one of my best physios for anyone who needs some help, their family and friends…

It’ll last 60 minutes and it’s FREE for you to come along and discover exactly how you, or a loved one, can finally get to the root cause of your knee pain and how to get back the life that you deserve, for good!

To make sure you secure your seat in time, give us a call on: 01429 866771 before Saturday 7th March, and if you know anyone who is suffering at the moment and they could benefit from this, pass our number their way – it may just help ease their knee pain for good.

P.S. In the meantime, if you’d like some actionable tips you can use now to start easing your knee pain, visit here to download my free knee pain report: www.paulgoughphysio.com/knee-pain