The knee makes it to the list of the most commonly injured part of the body. Knee pain is often associated with the occurrence of wear and tear as we age. Yet, if you maintain a physically active lifestyle, a healthy weight, and strength train your muscles, you can keep your knees healthy. You play a significant contribution in keeping your knees healthy.
Knee pain can occur at any age but usually becomes more common as we reach the age of 65, if we choose not to remain fit. However, it’s not all about aging; other factors, such as obesity, muscle changes, or osteoarthritis, contribute to knee pain.
Lugging around extra pounds of weight puts more stress on the knee. Between the ages of 20 and 60, your muscles only become weaker. This means losing the support of the muscles in your hips and legs, putting more strain on the knees.
For athletic people, sudden directional changes of the knee, such as pivoting, can result in torn ligaments. Extreme tears could warrant a knee surgery. But, surely, no one wants to have a knee operation, unless it is indeed necessary.
Before jumping to the conclusion that a knee operation is your only option to alleviate the pain, here are some other actions you can perform.
Lose weight
Losing weight is the first action you should try to do; it does not have to be an unrealistic goal. Losing only 5% of your weight can make a huge difference as each pound lost, reduces four pounds of weight placed on the knee joint, so ten pounds lost amounts to a 40-pound weight reduction on the knee.
Another contribution of weight gain is inflammation in the knee joint leading to pain. Weight loss will also help you to avoid arthritis, which occurs when there is inflammation in the joint.
Chiropractic
People seeking an alternative to knee surgery will often try chiropractic care first.
The distribution of chiropractors across the states differs, and four out of twenty accredited schools are in California. This means you can easily find a highly experienced Santa Monica Chiropractor who will use non-invasive and hands-on methods to cure your knee pain. Different techniques help to relieve pain in joints, muscles, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.
Chiropractors can apply chiropractic manipulation and mobilization techniques in the knee, as well as the surrounding tissues, to lessen the pain. They will also check for other reasons that might be contributing to your knee pain.
Exercise
Exercise is a very general term, so the knowledge about which types of exercise will help in the alleviation of your knee pain is required. Most likely, if you decide to visit a chiropractor, they will combine their techniques with special exercises to achieve the best results.
For instance, running is not the best exercise for your knee. If you consistently go to the gym, it is better to opt for a rowing or elliptical machine, which has less impact on the knee. Swimming is also a better choice of the sport since it is a low impact exercise on the knees. A piece of helpful advice is that when you start your exercise routine begins with low intensity and then build up to moderate one.
Almost all doctors will recommend you to try different treatments or methods before considering a knee replacement operation. It’s only when the pain severity reaches an extent that you feel it even when your knee is resting, should surgery be an option. Otherwise, try the options above, and you might feel substantial improvement in the pain itself and thus regain lost mobility.
photo source | adobe