How to Protect Yourself from Knee Pain as You Age

Knee pain is unfortunately very common as you get older. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 22.7% of adults in the United States have symptoms of at least one type of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common type, and your knee is the most common location.

Your knees are especially vulnerable because they bear the weight of your entire body. Simply walking around puts 3-5 times the amount of your body weight in force upon your knees, and the heavier you are, the more pressure is applied. But you don’t have to accept knee pain as an inevitable part of getting older.

In this blog, the providers at Nutura Clinic in Portland, Oregon, explain more about how to protect yourself from knee pain as you age.

Watch your weight

Being overweight or obese is an undeniable factor in causing knee pain, especially as you get older. The effects of carrying around more weight than your body can easily support will eventually catch up with you. One of the ways this happens is by putting too much pressure on your knees, which causes the cartilage to break down around your knee.

Even losing a little bit of weight can help ease the pressure on your knees, which will have cumulative benefits over time. Losing weight is the single best thing you can do to protect yourself from knee pain as you age.

Try knee osteoarthritis treatment

One of the most effective treatments for knee osteoarthritis is our five-week non-surgical program. Our program uses a holistic approach and is designed to eliminate the pain of osteoarthritis in your knee.

Your knees contain a fluid called synovial fluid, which lubricates your joint so it can move smoothly. When you have osteoarthritis, this fluid decreases or diminishes entirely, which causes the bones in your knee to scrape against each other. This bone-on-bone sensation is extremely painful.

Our providers inject your knee joint with hyaluronic acid, which mimics the lubricating action of the synovial fluid. This improves your range of motion and significantly decreases your pain. Hyaluronic acid also provides anti-inflammatory effects and offers some pain relief.

In addition, we provide a comprehensive list of at-home physical therapy exercises to assist with your healing, as well as a knee brace to wear when you’re at rest.

Other things you can do

Most people get adequate relief from losing weight and going through our knee osteoarthritis program. However, if you’re still bothered by knee pain, you can also try some of these additional techniques:

Spend more time barefoot, which reduces the stress on your knees
Apply ice to your knees when they swell
Quit smoking if you do; smokers have twice the rate of cartilage loss than non-smokers
Drink pomegranate juice, which reduces inflammation
Rest and elevate your knees when they hurt
Do gentle exercises that don’t strain your knees

If you’re struggling with knee pain, you don’t have to just live with it. Contact Nutura Clinic today by calling our office or requesting an appointment online.