The knee is the body’s largest joint. It is subjected to a great deal of wear and tear over time. Knee pain is a very common condition among people, especially the elderly. Some of the common causes of knee problems are excess weight, ageing, injury, lack of muscle strength, osteoarthritis, etc.
Prevention is one of the most effective treatments for any disease. Preventing injuries and maintaining the health of your knee joints can help you stay mobile and pain-free. So, in this blog, I am going to share some simple ways to keep your joints in good working order.
Simple Ways To Keep Knee Joints Healthy
Keep Moving
Many people with arthritis avoid regular physical activity or exercise for fear of aggravating their pain or causing further damage to their joints. This is not good!
Our bodies are designed to move, and our joints allow us to do so. In reality, activity helps us maintain a healthy weight by easing joint stiffness, strengthening the muscles that surround the joints, reducing joint pain, and easing joint stiffness. Therefore, keep active to lower your chances of knee pain.
Low-Impact Aerobic Activity
High-impact activities refer to those exercises that put a lot of pressure on your joints, so even taking a simple step can cause your knees to buckle.
Cross-training and Jogging are the two most common examples of high-impact activities that are hard on your knees.
In contrast, low-impact exercises have a lower impact on joints. So, they are easier on the body. Some of the best low-impact activities that will help you in maintaining your knees healthy without putting too much load on them include:
- Yoga
- Cycling
- Hiking
- Tai chi
- Elliptical machines
- Pilates
- Water exercises
Maintain A Healthy Weight
Excess body weight or obesity can be a big reason for arthritis, injury, and knee pain. It puts extra strain on your knees and can lead to issues like inflammation.
Lowering your body weight might help you reduce the stress on your joints. Your knees will be less stressed as you lose weight. Maintaining a healthy body weight benefits your general health as well as the health of your knees.
Strengthening Exercises
Strengthening muscles is an excellent way to keep joints healthy. Strength training strengthens the muscles that support joints and helps the knee joint absorb some of the pressure. Strengthening the quadriceps in the thigh used to be recommended, but experts now suggest that overall muscle development is best for knee health. To provide the optimum support for your knee, strength training should focus on the following areas:
- Hips
- Core strength
- Thigh and upper leg
- Calf
A physical therapist can help you select specific exercises, such as squats, that can strengthen these muscles without putting too much strain on your knee.
Stop Smoking
The majority of people aren’t aware that smoking raises their risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. Injuries like bursitis or tendonitis are also more likely when you smoke. Smokers are also more likely to suffer from lower back pain and rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore, to improve bone and joint health, quit smoking.
Eat an Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Keeping arthritis symptoms under control and maintaining overall joint health requires reducing inflammation. An anti-inflammatory diet means you have to avoid foods that cause inflammation and increase the intake of nutrients that reduce inflammation. Several sources suggest that a Mediterranean diet can help reduce inflammation.
Vitamin D and Calcium
Vitamin D and calcium are two essential nutrients for strong bones. Calcium absorption requires vitamin D. Vitamin D can be obtained by supplementation, sunlight, or diet. Many people require some nutritional support. Your health care provider can order a blood test to check your vitamin D level. Low calcium levels are linked to lower bone density and a higher risk of fracture.
When to See a Doctor
With ageing, joint laxity decreases, and it becomes hard to distinguish between aches and pains that are normal and those that indicate injury or chronic disease. Accurate diagnosis of meniscus tears, arthritis, ligament tears, fractures, and other serious conditions is often necessary. If your creaks and aches progress to any of the following symptoms, you should visit a doctor:
- Joint swelling or inflammation
- Inability to walk
- Signs of infection
- Intense pain that lasts for several days
- Obvious deformation or dislocation
- Weakness of the knee
- The severity of stiffness varies with the time of day
- Persistent buckling or locking
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