By: Nick Darrow SPT
The knee joint is one of the most used joints in our body which also means it takes a beating throughout our lives. We are going to talk about how to keep your knee joints healthy and recognize bad habits that may be affecting your knee joints health.
Bad habit #1: Smoking
We all know how detrimental smoking can be to our overall health but it’s also very bad for our joint’s health as well. Smoking can cause cartilage loss in all joints not just the knee joint which leads to osteoarthritis and most commonly knee pain. Smoking not only refers to cigarettes but also vape pens, e-cigarettes, etc.
Bad habit #2: Improper lifting mechanics
This refers to anything that involves putting stress on the knee joint. If you notice knee pain while squatting down, we need to take a look at what theknee joint is doing and moving throughout the movement.
Bad habit #3: Inactivity
You would think not stressing the joint would equal no pain, right? Wrong. Not using the joint is actually more detrimental to its overall health than stressing it. Exercise is best and allows for lubrication of the joint and for it to be used throughout the entire range of motion.
Bad habit #4: Overtraining
On the contrary too much stress on the joint is not good for its health. If you’re overexerting the muscles surrounding the knee and not allowing them enough time to recover, you are doing more harm than good.
Bad habit #5: Poor footwear
Improper footwear can cause issues in the knee joint due to the placement of load throughout the joint. If you have footwear that doesn’t have enough support, then it can cause pain and issues in the knee joint.
All bad habits can be broken with proper instruction and guidance. Come visit us at either our Malta, Queensbury, Saratoga, or Delmar offices or call 518-289-5242 to learn more about
what could be causing your knee pain and what we can do to help!
References:
- Baldon R de M, Serrão FV, Scattone Silva R, Piva SR. Effects of Functional Stabilization
Training on Pain, Function, and Lower Extremity Biomechanics in Women With Patellofemoral
Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy.
2014;44(4):240-A8. doi:https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2014.4940 - Amin S, Niu J, Guermazi A, et al. Cigarette smoking and the risk for cartilage loss and knee pain in men with knee osteoarthritis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 2006;66(1):18-22.
doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/ard.2006.056697
If you are looking to prevent knee pain, contact us today via our contact form, or call us directly at our physical therapy clinics in Malta, Saratoga, Delmar or Queensbury at 518-289-5242 for a personal evaluation, and find out how we can get you feeling better!
