5 Things You Need to Know About Knee Pain

 In Lower Limb

Being overweight

  • Studies have shown that being a few kilograms overweight can put you at significantly more risk of developing knee pain.
  • The second most important thing behind losing weight is strengthening the muscles around the knee.  The stronger the muscles are around the knee the more efficient distribution of load. 

Running with arthritis

  • It was once thought that running with an arthritic knee would increase the rate of progression of arthritis. Recent studies have shown significant results demonstrating that moderate intensity running programs slow the progression of knee OA.
  • Although running has been proven to help knee OA there are still mixed results as to whether or not running prevents the development of knee OA. Even though these results are inconclusive running has many other benefits physical and emotional benefits.

Runner’s knee

  • Studies show that having good hip strength is essential for having healthy knees.
  • Strong gluteal muscles stop your knees collapsing inward (valgus strain) causing excessive strain on your knee joints.

My knee is locking!

  • When your knee is locking or getting stuck when you bend, there is a high chance you may have a tear in you meniscus. Your meniscus is a fibrocartilage disc in between your leg bone and your shin, its role is to absorb load.
  • Don’t put seeing a physiotherapist off when your knee is locking or giving way as this can increase your risk of arthritis.

Why does my knee sound like rice bubbles when I bend it?

  • People who complain of cracking and a dull ache behind the knee cap most commonly have a condition called chondromalacia patella. This is softening of the cartilage behind the knee cap caused by trauma or poor biomechanics damaging the cartilage.

Joel Watkins (APAM)
POGO Associate

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