You have bones in your legs larger than any other in your body (femur, fibula, and tibia), and connecting them is your largest joint: your knees. The joints in your lower body are essential for walking, running, and most other basic tasks, but problems with your knees can compromise your ability to do things not just upright, but when seated.
Whether you’re an athlete, you love to exercise, or you’re just trying to do more on your feet, knee pain can be limiting. To manage the problems that come with pain in this pair of joints, let’s review the common issues they have, what causes them to happen, the symptoms to look for, and how to reduce the amount of pain you have.
Dr. David Dickerson and our dedicated staff at Performance Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine help residents of Shrewsbury, Toms River, and Wall Township, New Jersey, with knee pain and many other joint problems.
Sadly, pain in this joint happens to a lot of people; in fact, it affects 25% of adults in America and sends people to get medical help more frequently than any other joint pain. In addition to being the largest joint, the knee is also the most complex, and problems that affect it can happen in several key areas:
The wear and tear we put on our knees from overuse, or injuries we struggle with, can lead to conditions like:
If you have one or more of these knee problems, you can experience symptoms like pain, swelling, discoloration, grinding, warmth, or popping noises.
Mild to moderate knee problems can improve with muscle conditioning through various exercises that commonly target the quadriceps, hamstrings, abductors, adductors, and gluteus minimus and maximus. These include regimens such as:
Using a chair or wall to stay balanced, bend one knee and pull your heel up toward your buttocks. Grab and hold your ankle, gently pulling the heel closer, and keep the position for up to a minute. Repeat in the other leg when finished.
While lying on your back with both legs bent, lift one leg off the floor and bring your knee toward your chest. Grabbing behind your thigh, straighten your leg and pull it toward your head until you feel it stretching. Hold for a minute, then do it on the opposite leg.
While standing with your feet shoulder distance apart, either rest your hands on your thighs or reach forward. Hold a chair or wall for balance if necessary. Keeping your chest lifted, slowly lower your hips about 10 inches, as if sitting. Keep the squatting position for five seconds, then, using your heels, push yourself back up.
Other exercises like heel cord stretches, hamstring curls, calf raises, leg extensions, and leg raises can also help build strength and stability in your knees and reduce pain.
Knee pain can be frustrating and limiting, but you can get through it, and we can help. Call 732-691-4898 to make an appointment with Dr. Dickerson and the Performance Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine team today.
