About 25% of the adult population experiences frequent knee pain. For some, the pain is strong enough to reduce their quality of life and limit their mobility.
As a pain management specialist, Steven Grossinger, DO, knows the toll that aching knees can take on your life and your ability to keep up with your responsibilities.
Dr. Grossinger not only can ease your knee pain with a customized treatment plan, but he can provide guidance to help you protect your knees from injuries and chronic diseases like arthritis.
Your knee joints allow you to stand, sit, and walk around. The joint is made up of bones, cartilage, ligaments, and other soft tissues that work together to give you range of motion.
During exercise, your knee joints are under additional pressure. This alone can damage the joint structures over time. High-impact exercise that involves your knees can also put you at risk for soft tissue tears and the wearing down of the protective cartilage that cushions your joints.
Without cartilage, the bones of your joint can rub together. This creates friction that leads to persistent inflammation and ultimately chronic knee pain. Workout damage can also cause joint deformities if not identified early enough.
One of the most important things you can do to protect your knees during a workout is to stop immediately if you feel any pain in or around your knee.
Some discomfort can be normal, especially if you’re new to certain exercises, but sudden or sharp knee pain isn’t normal. Take some time to rest and apply ice to the area to see if the pain improves before you continue physical activity.
We also recommend:
If you’re new to exercise or already have trouble with your knees, try starting out with low-impact exercises like swimming or walking before you attempt strenuous activities like running or squats.
Low-impact activities not only protect your knee from injury, but they also strengthen your joints over time, so you can safely transition to higher-impact activities.
Before you start any workout, take time to warm up your knee joints with a slow jog or stretches.
Warmups help to boost your blood circulation and reduce your risk for unintended muscle strains or tissue tears that can negatively affect your joint function.
When you work out on cement or other hard surfaces, your knees absorb the shock of your movements.
When possible, try working out on a soft track or a grassy area instead. If you can’t, opt for shoes with plenty of support or consider adding orthotics to better protect your joints.
If you have knee pain that doesn’t go away with rest, schedule a consultation with Dr. Grossinger. He offers on-site diagnostic testing services to better understand the root cause of your joint pain, so you can get the treatment you need.
Nonsurgical treatments like braces, physical therapy, and regenerative medicine are available to alleviate joint inflammation in your knee, so you can stay pain-free and active.
For more tips on preventing knee pain during your workout, call Steven Grossinger, DO, at his office in Wilmington, Delaware, or Springfield, Pennsylvania, or book a consultation online today.
