Knee pain from arthritis doesn't mean you should stop moving your knee. In fact, for most people it's important to keep using the affected joint. Exercise can reduce pain, increase flexibility and range of motion, and help maintain function.
The most common triggers of an OA flare are overdoing an activity or trauma to the joint. Other triggers can include bone spurs, stress, repetitive motions, cold weather, a change in barometric pressure, an infection or weight gain. Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory disease that affects the skin and joints.
Slowly bend one knee up towards your chest, sliding your foot along the floor, until you feel a stretch. Hold for five seconds. Straighten your leg as far as you can and hold this position for five seconds. Repeat 10 times with each leg.
Avoid high-impact workouts and exercises if you have osteoarthritis of the knee, hip, or ankle. These activities often place stress on weight-bearing joints. Basketball, football, hockey, and soccer are all examples of high-impact sports.
Walk when your knees feel the best: While walking may help arthritis pain in the long term, it is important to try and walk when your joints are feeling their best. For example, if you wake up with stiff, painful knees, it may be best to wait until later in the day to begin your walk.
1. You sit for long periods of time. If your knee hurts, you might want to stay off of it. But resting too much makes your muscles weaken and often makes knee pain worse.
Everyone needs exercise, but it's especially important for people with arthritis. Exercise increases strength and makes moving easier. Exercise reduces joint pain and helps fight tiredness.
When lying on your back, place a pillow or rolled up blanket beneath your knees and possibly another under the small of your back. When sleeping on your back, place pillows beneath your knees. When sleeping on your side, place one or more pillows between your knees.
Knee arthritis can make it hard to do many everyday activities, such as walking or climbing stairs. It is a major cause of lost work time and a serious disability for many people. The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, but there are more than 100 different forms.
Get Physical
Physical activity is the best available treatment for OA. It's also one of the best ways to keep joints healthy in the first place. As little as 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise five times a week helps joints stay limber and strengthens the muscles that support and stabilize your hips and knees.
Untreated arthritis will add to the degradation of the structures in and around the joint leading to more and more pain and a loss of function. The progression of arthritis may lead to requiring a total joint replacement.
Pushing through pain is not the thing to do. If your joints are hot or swollen, exercise can increase the damage and cause more pain. Remember, arthritis pain and pain from a strenuous workout are not the same. A little soreness a day or two after a workout is OK.
The cartilage damage associated with arthritis is irreversible, but there are nonsurgical and surgical treatments that can help reduce pain, increase joint flexibility and improve overall quality of life for people with knee arthritis.
As with OA, the joint stiffness that's a hallmark of the RA tends to be worse in the morning or after periods of inactivity. Therefore, sedentary habits, like sitting for hours at a desk, can exacerbate these symptoms and lead to even greater swelling and joint problems.
The worst exercises for people with bad knees are full-arc knee extension (using the machine at the gym), full-deep lunges, deep squats, and Hurdler's stretches as these exercises put excessive strain on the knee joints, increasing pain and causing injury.
Have marked knee swelling. Are unable to fully extend or flex your knee. See an obvious deformity in your leg or knee. Have a fever, in addition to redness, pain and swelling in your knee.
Over-the-counter medications — such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) — may help ease knee pain. Some people find relief by rubbing the affected knee with creams containing a numbing agent, such as lidocaine, or capsaicin, the substance that makes chili peppers hot.
Massaging the knee can be very beneficial if you are experiencing stiffness, pain, or swelling in your knees. Whatever the cause of your knee injury may be, massaging the knee can provide relaxation and take pressure off any nerves that may be causing you pain.
Wear shoes that have ¾-inch heels or less to lower the pressure on your knees. Lose weight so that you can walk with less pain. Use walking poles to help with stability and reduce joint fatigue. Stretch every 15 minutes in a day to keep the joint fluid moving in your knees.