Reduce your knee pain the medication-free way

When it comes to exercise injuries and general aches and pains, knee problems present one of the most common ailments. If you haven’t experienced knee troubles, chances are someone in your office is complaining about knee pain as you read this. So what steps can one take to prevent and manage knee pain? 

1.Put your best foot forward: Whatever your daily routine may be, whether you walk to work, pound the pavement or work a job in which you are on your feet all day, the right footwear will mean the difference between injury prone or healthy knees. This doesn’t mean a ‘one fits all’ criteria either. Ensure you have walking shoes for walking, runners for those more active days and sport specific shoes for your hobby of choice, no matter if you’re playing for the Lakers or a C grade team. If the shoe fits, knee health will follow.

2. Sit less, move more: May sound like an odd piece of advice to give to someone suffering from sore knees, however the reality is this. The less mobile you are during the day, the more likely you are to be shortening your hamstrings and leading to your glutes atrophying. Short and tight muscles spell bad news for the joints, so get moving. 

3. Lose weight: While our knees are built to withstand enormous amounts of force, they too have their limit. Prolonged weight gain places unnecessary strain on our knees, the impact of which you are likely to feel more and more as you age. 

4. Take that pre work and post workout routine seriously. This means working up a slight sweat and getting the heart beating before you get stuck into your class or circuit training. Getting the blood flowing and priming the knee joints before exercise will not only lower chances of injury but will also aid in your recovery. A light spin on the exercise bike is ideal. 

 5. Roll it out: Using a roller or seeing your Physio is one of the most effective ways to relieve joint pain. Our bodies are built much like a computer with wires and grids all miraculously joint together to create one well-oiled machine. Your knee pain may in fact be due to tight muscles elsewhere in the body. For knee pain focus on rolling your quads and hamstrings.