It’s one of the most common agonising issues that most people aged 50+ will ever suffer from…
Nagging knee pain.
The kind that slows you down in life, frustrates you when you walk up and down the stairs, and even stops you from doing something as simple as your weekly food shop…
And because last week I received this email from a patient of mine, I wanted to share with you the top 3 things to stop doing right now, that could be making your knee pain worse.
Here’s an email from Simon:
===
“Paul, I’m sick and tired of waking up every day with a dull, nagging pain in my knee.
I’m not sure what I’ve done but it’s always there when I wake up, and it always aches when I walk up and down the stairs, walking down especially hurts.
Is it something I’m doing that’s making it worse? Thanks!”
– Simon, 54, Elwick.
===
More often than not, whether you’re dealing with annoying, nagging knee pain, or recovering from something more serious, there’s something you’re doing daily that’s making it feel even worse.
So here’s three simple things to stop doing right now, that will make a big difference to your knee pain as quick as TODAY!
1. Avoid sitting with your legs bent for more than 20 minutes at a time
There’s so much ‘gossip’ that surrounds knee pain. But this is FACT… you and I
were not designed to sit. It goes against every basic, fundamental rule of the
way we originally evolved as humans.
When you sit at a desk or in a chair with your knees bent underneath, you’re
stretching ligaments and muscles and placing your knee in a position that is
unnatural – and it really wasn’t supposed to be in for very long.
Limit the amount of time you sit with your knees bent, and keep them out straight for as long as possible – and keep them moving too.
2. Avoid taking it too easy, and taking too much rest…
One of the most common things we’re always told to do when we have knee pain is to rest.
And of course rest is an important part of recovery, but if we rest too much and sit around all day doing nothing, we’re only going to make the knee joint seize up, which means more pain.
Try some low impact exercises that are easy on the knees. Swimming and cycling are great and will help you maintain safe range of movement in your knees, without them seizing up!
(And if you have an exercise bike – even better! Just put your favourite programme on and pedal gently for 10-20 minutes!)
3. Avoid crossing your legs
Just like we’re not designed to sit with our knees bent for long periods of time, our knees are also not designed to twist and turn, and sitting crossed legged does just that.
In this position, your joints are twisted, your muscles are stretched and you’re vulnerable to injury.
Spending an excess of time in this position will catch up on you – in the form of unwanted noises like click clunk and crack – and more swelling.
So there you have it, three things that you can stop doing today, to help ease your knee pain fast and stop it from getting worse.
There’s obviously so much more you can do too, but these are the fundamentals and if you apply them daily, you’ll feel a huge difference.
For more tips like this, visit here to download your copy of our FREE knee pain report: http://www.paulgoughphysio.com/knee-pain
You might know Paul as an expert Columnist who writes weekly health articles for TWO of the North East's biggest daily Newspapers, The Northern Echo And The Hartlepool Mail, he is a regular Speaker at Industry Seminars around the globe and a Radio Personality, often heard on the BBC. Paul has been an expert guest on dozens of Radio shows and regularly interviewed in newspapers, magazines and trade journals all over the world, including the Guardian.
Paul’s background included working extensively in the Premier League with a Top Professional Football Team, and since quitting his job in Professional Football in 2007, his Physio Practice has become the fastest growing in the UK and biggest in the North East. So successful, that companies like BUPA, ASDA, The Vela Group And Coast & Country, repeatedly retain his Physio company's services to keep healthy their own staff and workforce. Paul Gough Physio Rooms is now a large multi-physio, multi clinic speciality practice in Darlington, Durham, Guisborough and Hartlepool.
- Great North Run 2024: Essential Tips for Peak Performance - August 27, 2024
- Don’t Fall For These Common Foot And Ankle Pain Myths! - July 31, 2024
- Our Top 5 Exercises To Prevent Knee Pain After Walking - June 20, 2024