Excruciating Knee Pain- can’t workout? Here are some dos and don’ts

India is rapidly getting on the fitness path. However, many who have been active have suddenly become inactive due to injuries and largely these injuries pertain to leg or back. Knee pain and back pain being the most common among the young adults.

Knee pain today has become one of the most common orthopedic pain ailment among people of all age groups. What was earlier considered to affect people after about 60 years of age is now striking people earlier, reason being wrong foot wear, injury, bad and sedentary lifestyle, body weight, etc.

Let me cite my own example: I had injured my knee during the rainy season due to wrong shoes while performing an adventure activity. I couldn’t walk for few days as I had ruptured my ligament. It was a ligament strain. Thereafter, my knee became a hindrance for my workout. Doctor suggested rest and no workout.

I had to skip everything, right from running, working out, playing a sport. And I felt miserable and helpless that an injury stopped me from so many things. This is exactly the scenario with many of the people I consult. Most come up with the same issue of Knee injury so exercise is a NO NO, which is necessary for being fit.

First and foremost one needs to understand there are different kinds of Knee pain, it can be an injury, strained past injury, excessive weight, high uric acid, joint pain, arthritis. Depending upon what it is exactly that is giving the pain; there are different or similar solutions to it. In my case too, I spoke to different experts like Physiotherapist or My Trainer and I figured out that I need not stop exercising. I need to work on the strengthening of the knee and avoiding exercises that would worsen it.

In cases like High Uric acid and joint pain, of course dietary changes play a major role but exercises also need to be a part of recovery.

Things that would bother it more is exercises like Squats, that is why your doctor says start using western toilet and don’t sit down, as that motion would impact more on your knee and give pain.

Also avoid lunges, a form of exercise. Jumping moments as it would give shock to your joints especially the knees.

How do we still continue to be active with the knee pain?

What can be done? 

1. Exercise to strengthen it: Sit on a chair and raise your leg up and put it down again, repeat this for 10 times in a set of two. After few weeks, repeat the same exercise with little ankle weights, if you can manage.

2. Roll up a towel or a cloth: to form a cylindrical type format and keep that under your knee with the leg extended, try to press that with the knee and then release, repeat this for 4-5 times.

You can follow these two exercises for a better and stronger knee muscles.

3. Avoid running, squats, jumping movements

4. Eat foods that make your knee stronger Walnuts, Almonds, Milk and Milk products

5. In certain cases physiotherapy exercises will be needed.

6. Strengthen the supporting muscles like glutes( hip muscle), core muscles and leg muscles.

7. Stretching the leg muscles will also help as the stiffness in this part of muscle can cause difficulty in movement of the knee leading to pain.

8. Anti inflammatory and high antioxidants food like fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts.

9. Have food rich on Omega 3 like flaxseed and fish

10. Home made ghee of cow’s milk.

11. Maintain body weight.

12. Warm up well before any type of activity.

13. Opt for swimming as it helps a lot in knee issue.

14. Wear proper fitting shoes

15. Do not increase or decrease your activity. Keep it moderate.

16. Increase your Calcium & D3 uptake. Sources can be Milk, cheese, cottage cheese, egg yolk

( avoid for people have high cholesterol/ triglycerides), Ragi, Broccoli, Nuts, Fish.

All these points can make your knee pain better and make it more stronger and don’t stop yourself from workout if there is knee pain.