Knee Pain

Let’s talk about knees.  The knee is a vulnerable joint that takes a lot of “wear and tear” stress from everyday activities. Your knees are used countless times a day - whether it’s walking down the hallway, picking something up from the floor, sitting in a chair, or standing up from a chair.  When your knees are feeling fine, you don’t give them a second thought. However, add any amount of ache to the equation and it’s clear — knee pain can be a disruptor to your daily routines.  

When you have knee pain, the tendency is to become more sedentary which can set you up for a range of health issues. Even a small reduction in your daily movement can have a ripple effect for your overall health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.   

There are many possible causes for chronic knee pain. Some common ones include:  

  • Repetitive motion that puts stress on the knee 

  • Sprained or strained knee ligaments or muscles

  • Inflammation of the tendons, called tendinitis 

  • Arthritis, such as osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis 

  • Weakened bone strength from osteoporosis, increasing the risk of fracture 

  • Bursitis, which is inflammation in the sacs of fluid cushioning the outside of the knee joint 

  • Lack of muscle strength or flexibility 

  • Excess weight, which creates stress on knee joints 

  • Previous injury that has caused weakness in one or both knees 

It’s alway important to consult your healthcare provider for chronic knee pain.

Knee pain may also occur as a result of injury to a different part of the body that affects how you walk. For example, hip pain may cause you to change your gait, which then puts more pressure on your knees, potentially stressing the muscles and tendons there.  With knee pain, it’s common for people to avoid exercise in the belief that activity will worsen or prolong the pain. But the opposite is true. Becoming more sedentary increases the chance of worsening your knee pain. When you don’t use the muscles around your knee, they become weaker, which puts more pressure on your knee joint.   That said, not all exercise is right when you have knee pain. Jumping, running, and other higher impact activities that create pressure on the knee are usually not recommended unless they’re supervised by a physical therapist.  

There are plenty of activities that can help you strengthen the muscles around your knees such as strength training, walking, Yoga, Tai Chi, Swimming, and/or gentle stretching. To make your knee stronger, it’s beneficial to strengthen the muscles in the lower and upper legs.  Calf raises and tibialis raises are good exercises for the lower legs while glute bridges on the floor or bed are good for the upper legs. Give these a try and see how your knees feel. If you’re on Instagram or Facebook, I’ll post these exercises on my page.  If you aren’t on social media and want to see them, send me an email asking for them.   



Teresa Fletcher