5 Common Habits Secretly Causing Your Knee Pain

swimming

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5.  Lack of Exercise

You might think that not moving your knees would be the best thing you can do for them, but the opposite is true. Although exercise can be a double edged sword, with too much exercise being just as bad as no exercise. Your knee relies on the muscles of the legs to work properly without stress. So while you want to get some exercise, you don’t want to overdo it.

Be certain to stretch and warm up before you begin exercising. Think of muscles like springs that need to be loosened up before they start bouncing or they might snap and break. Choose an exercise that will have the lowest impact on the knees such as swimming, biking, yoga, or walking. After your leg muscles are stronger, you can do more strenuous exercises. Keep in mind that running, even on a treadmill, puts a great deal of stress on the knees.

Perhaps one of the best pieces of advice you can take is to pay close attention to how your knee feels. If you develop pain that does not go away after a few days of rest, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. Knee injuries only get worse over time, so early treatment can make a huge difference between knees that recover and knees that continue to hurt for the rest of your life. Give your knees rest, ice packs, hot baths, elevation, and compression at the first sign of injury or pain and if these methods do not work, consult a physician.

References:

Orthoinfo.aaos.org

Cdc.gov

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