What do knees need? Do they wear out? It can be alarming when we feel these important joints aren’t up to the job. They’re load bearing, complicated and hard working and so to a certain extent everyone will experience a bit of degeneration of the knee joints. A pain in your knee, especially when caused by osteoarthritis, might make you want to use it less and less but in fact movement and exercise won’t ‘wear down’ your joints. Too little movement makes joints less flexible and muscles weaker. Exercise increases the blood flow and stimulates the metabolic process which supplies the joint fluid with nutrients. This synovial (joint) fluid acts as a lubricant and shock absorber. It enters the cartilage in the joint when the cartilage itself is squeezed by pressure and, like a sponge, reabsorbs the fluid. Any physical activity stimulates lubrication in the joints – so amazing things happen when you move and exercise!
Painful knees: how do you know it’s osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis can come on as a result of any combination of wear and tear through ageing, a predisposition via your genetics, repetitive activities or previous injury. It’s a degenerative condition which affects all the component parts of a joint, including bone and cartilage. You may experience a dull ache with episodes of sharp pain, aching, warmth and swelling around the joint, and particularly stiffness which is worse during the first hour of your day. Although the effects can’t be reversed, osteoarthritis can be managed effectively through physiotherapy and even reduce the need for surgery down the line.
When should you see your GP first?
It is not necessary for everyone to see their GP first because a lot of knee conditions are treatable by physios without consulting a doctor but there are some red flags which indicate you should head to the GP or even A&E. It’s best to check with your doctor for any of the following conditions:
- you’ve sustained a knee injury from a road traffic accident,
- have swelling in your calf, had a history of deep vein thrombosis (DVT),
- fell and are unable to bear weight through your leg after a few weeks, especially if you have osteoporosis.
Sudden sharp pains might mean damage to the meniscus, tendons, bones or cartilage. General joint inflammation might also be the result of rheumatoid arthritis so get these symptoms checked out by a doctor in the first instance. But remember, whatever the cause of knee pain, recovery can be speeded up by physiotherapy.
What can you do when your knees hurt?
Lose weight. One of the first things you can do to manage painful knees (whether from osteoarthritis in the knees or any other cause) is to reduce the load on them. Calorie counting and a balanced diet is the best way: there are many Apps to help you keep on top of your intake.
Don’t be afraid of pain. It’s perfectly acceptable to feel some pain when exercising as long as it’s not too acute. On a personal scale of 0 to 10 (where 0 is no pain at all), your knees can safely tolerate up to a 5. People with knee pain often worry that they are wearing out their joints by walking and moving, which of course isn’t true.
Have fun with movement. It’s been shown that your attitude to pain very much affects just how much pain you feel. In other words, if you’re having fun in a dance class you’re less likely to classify that movement as painful. In fact, exercise releases biochemicals with a pain-relieving effect. So choose exercise that you enjoy, especially low impact activities with smooth movements which don’t stress the joints. You could try all sorts of things: cross-trainer, cycling, aqua aerobics, or Tai Chi.
Here are some exercises you can work on at home – and give us a ring or book an appointment online (use the Book Now button at the top of the page) and come in for a check up. We’d love to help you feel better.