Avoid these 5 common mistakes in managing knee osteoarthritis

Are you over 50 and experiencing knee pain? It could be knee osteoarthritis.

Knee osteoarthritis is a common age-related degenerative joint disease. Your knees are cushioned by cartilage. As you age, you start losing cartilage. So it can result in stiffness and pain in the knees. Due to this, patients with arthritis have limited mobility.

Here are some mistakes that people who have knee osteoarthritis may make thinking that it can help with their pain:

Mistake #1: Avoiding movement

Due to pain in the knees, people with knee arthritis often reduce their movement to avoid the pain. Walking is a simple, low-impact exercise, and people with knee pain often cut down on the distance they are walking. But, without proper care, your knee arthritis pain will not go away, and you may end up decreasing your walking distance until you lose your mobility to a great extent.

Mistake #2: Overexerting too much

Some people may think that their pain will go away if they just keep doing hard exercises. While movement is important for your knees, overexertion is not the right thing to do. If your knees are painful or stiff when you walk or exercise, it's a signal from your body that both knees and muscles in that region need attention. So, overexerting, like excessive walking or stair climbing, can be detrimental to your knees.

Mistake #3: Not managing the weight

If you are overweight, the additional body weight puts a lot of pressure on your knees. Reducing your weight even by a few kilograms can reduce the pressure on your knees. Strength training exercises can improve the muscular strength of the calf and gluteus muscles that indirectly support your knees. Foods supporting bone strength and cartilage can also help. If you have knee pain and want to exercise to lose weight, consult a knee expert first.

Mistake #4: Wearing the wrong footwear

When you walk, your footwear also plays a major role in supporting your ankles and knees. For example, people who are in the early stages of knee arthritis should avoid wearing heels. Supportive footwear can reduce the pressure on the joints and ensure that you don't risk falling down.

Mistake #5: Be afraid of surgery

While it's possible to manage the pain and symptoms of knee arthritis with medications, in some cases, you may need surgery. It's not a quick fix, but surgery can greatly help you relieve pain and restore function. There is no need to be afraid of surgery because expert care drastically reduces the risk.

Seek Professional Help

If you have knee pain, consult an expert at chennai orthopaedics. The orthopaedic experts listen to your problems and create a pain management plan to support your lifestyle. Start walking pain-free with customised care that includes everything from regular checkups to modern surgeries to restore mobility.