Take It Seriously If Your Knees Hurt
All of our experts told us that it doesnt matter what the weather studies say. If you have knee pain, you need to respect the pain and do what it takes to make it better.
I take an ontological approach to my training, meaning that what is present is real for my athletes, says Bryant. If they feel pain, we have to prepare and deal with that reality. And they dont have to move to a warmer climate for that preparation.
The first thing you need to do if your knees hurt in bad weather is get them checked out, says Joshua Grahlman, PT, DPT, founder of Clutch PT in Manhattan. I spend as much time helping people get out of the patterns theyve created in compensating for their pain as I do on helping people with whats been causing their pain, he says.
“Younger, healthy people really shouldn’t be feeling air pressure changes in their joints,” Grahlman says. Usually, that happens when there’s already some arthritis in the joint. But there are many other reasons for knee pain, so it’s important to get the right diagnosis.
Can Growing Pains Occur In Just One Leg
Usually growing pains occur bilaterally or in both legs. These pains usually occur deep in the thigh or calf in school-aged children. They generally occur at night with resolution by morning. If your child is experiencing pains in just one leg, consider bringing them for medical evaluation. One-sided leg pain can be indicative of infection, musculoskeletal injury or deformity, or other serious conditions such as a tumor.
Why Do My Knees Hurt When Bending
Knee pain has many origins unrelated to an underlying disease. Injuries due to trauma, overuse or overexertion are common causes of knee pain. Many Americans experience knee pain when bending specifically, which can be troublesome when we dont know the exact reason behind it.
Experts estimate that for every pound we weigh, our knees can be subject to four to six times that pressure when we bend them and/or place them in a weight bearing position. Therefore, bending, climbing stairs and squatting can make certain areas of the knee ache with pain.
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Q: What Foods Do You Recommend I Eator Avoid
JD: Id look first at the types of fats youre eating. Chronic inflammatory pain is a sign that you have higher-than-normal levels of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins. Prostaglandins, a kind of hormone, come in two types: One encourages inflammation, while the other inhibits it. Because both are constructed from fatty acids, the kind of prostaglandins that predominate in your body depends partly on the kinds of fats you eat.
Youll want to stay away from pro-inflammatory fats, such as butter, whole milk, margarine, corn oil, sesame oil, coconut oil, and vegetable shortening. And steer clear of trans fats, which are often found in processed foods. At the same time, increase your intake of anti-inflammatory omega-3 oils. Good sources include salmon, herring, mackerel, flaxseed oil, and walnuts.
Finally, make sure youre getting five to six servings of fresh fruits and vegetables a day and substituting whole grains for white bread and rice. A healthy diet will also help you lose weight.
Knee Pain At Night Causes
Common causes of knee pain at night include sprains and strains, anterior knee pain, menisci or cartilage damage, osteoarthritis tendonitis, bursitis, torn ligaments or tendons, bleeding into the joint, Osgood Shatlers disease, gout, septic arthritis, overuse, and obesity.
Osteoarthritis: This is the most common cause of knee pain at night because when you lay down the muscles surrounding the knee begin to relax. When cartilage between the bones is thin, as seen in osteoarthritis, the bones end up rubbing against each other, causing pain.
Rheumatoid arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease and a form of arthritis. It can contribute to knee pain at night as the immune system wrongfully attacks the joints, thus causing pain and deformity.
Gout: Another type of arthritis, gout is caused by excess uric acid, which forms crystals in the joints, causing pain and swelling. Gout flare-ups are quite common at night.
Trauma or obesity: Injuring the knee or being overweight can cause knee pain at night. Carrying extra weight puts added stress on the knees, so pain can emerge at night when you relax.
Certain medications: Certain medications like statins for cholesterol have been found to lead to nighttime knee pain.
Ankylosing spondylitis: Another autoimmune disease, which typically involves the spine, but may also affects the knees, too. Pain in ankylosing spondylitis worsens when a person is lying down.
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What You Can Do
Take over-the-counter NSAID drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen to ease pain and swelling. RICE — rest, ice, compression, and elevation — can often help, too: Get off your feet. Raise your leg so it’s higher than your heart. Put a cold pack in a thin cloth or towel on your knee for 10-20 minutes at a time, several times a day. Wrap an elastic bandage around your knee when you’re up and about, snug but not tight.
Causes Of Knee Pain And How To Fix Them
Sports doctor Jordan Metzl explains the most common knee injuries and how to manage them.
So you’ve got knee pain from running. Whether you’re a complete beginner, or you’re two weeks into your latest cycle, knee pain is frustrating. We spoke to sports doctor Jordan Metzl, who explains four of the most common causes of knee pain from running, and what you can do about them:
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Urgent Advice: Get Advice From 111 Now If:
- your knee is very painful
- you cannot move your knee or put any weight on it
- your knee is badly swollen or has changed shape
- you have a very high temperature, feel hot and shivery, and have redness or heat around your knee this can be a sign of infection
111 will tell you what to do. They can tell you the right place to get help if you need to see someone.
Go to 111.nhs.uk or .
You can also go to an urgent treatment centre if you need to see someone now.
They’re also called walk-in centres or minor injuries units.
You may be seen quicker than you would at A& E.
Torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament
You hear a pop and can’t move after you suddenly change direction — often while playing soccer, football, or basketball. You may have torn your ACL, which connects the femur and the tibia and prevents the tibia from moving too far forward. Your knee will hurt and swell and feel unstable.
You can tear or strain any of the tissues that hold your knee together: Ligaments connect bones to each other tendons connect muscle to bone. Irritated tendons from using them too much? That’s tendinitis.
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Youre Simply Getting Older
Your joints have been supporting you your entire life, and that can be hard on them over timeespecially when it comes to weight-bearing joints like your knees and hips, says Michael B. Gerhardt, M.D., a sports medicine specialist and orthopedic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles. Cartilage, a gel-like substance that helps cushion your joints, also wears down with time, he says.
Joint pain is extremely common as you age, Dr. Gerhardt says. Most of us, if we are fortunate enough to live long enough, will develop some sort of joint pain.
In addition to your knees and hips, you can also develop joint pain in your shoulders over time. The source is often repetitive lifting and reaching activities, says Gregory Gasbarro, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at The Shoulder, Elbow, Wrist and Hand Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
Look Into Nerve Blocks
A nerve block is a specific type of knee joint injection that prevents nerves from delivering pain signals to the brain.
After a knee replacement, the most common kind of nerve block for knee pain is a saphenous nerve block. For patients who cannot have knee replacement surgery or who are experiencing chronic knee pain at night from other causes, genicular nerve blocks are another option.
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Q: Im Already Taking Fish Oil Glucosamine And Chondroitin Would You Recommend Any Additional Supplements
JD: These are three great supplements. Make sure youre taking enough fish oil to get between 1,000 and 2,000 mg of EPA a day. Because this much fish oil can cause gastrointestinal upset, you might need to take it with food, and work up to this dosage slowly. Salmon pills can be more easily digested, but tend to be pricey. I like purified and distilled liquid cod-liver oil products because theyre the least expensive source of high-quality EPA and DHA . Most products on the market are free of mercury contamination, but you should always check youll find many product tests and reviews at ConsumerLab.com.
Brief Anatomy Of The Knee
The knee is a vulnerable joint that bears a great deal of stress from everyday activities, such as lifting and kneeling, and from high-impact activities, such as jogging and aerobics.
The knee is formed by the following parts:
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Tibia. This is the shin bone or larger bone of the lower leg.
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Femur. This is the thighbone or upper leg bone.
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Patella. This is the kneecap.
Each bone end is covered with a layer of cartilage that absorbs shock and protects the knee. Basically, the knee is 2 long leg bones held together by muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
There are 2 groups of muscles involved in the knee, including the quadriceps muscles , which straighten the legs, and the hamstring muscles , which bend the leg at the knee.
Tendons are tough cords of tissue that connect muscles to bones. Ligaments are elastic bands of tissue that connect bone to bone. Some ligaments on the knee provide stability and protection of the joints, while other ligaments limit forward and backward movement of the tibia .
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What Is The Long
Some knee pain, especially pain caused by osteoarthritis, will likely be permanent. Thats because the structure of the knee is damaged. Without surgery or another type of extensive treatment, youll continue to feel pain, inflammation, and swelling in your knee.
The long-term outlook for chronic knee pain involves managing pain, preventing flare-ups, and working to reduce irritation to the knee.
Use A Heat Or Cold Pack
People may find relief from their knee pain by using ice packs, heat packs, or heating pads.
Before falling asleep or going to bed, a person can try to ice or heat their knees. They should aim to heat or ice their knees right before bed for about 20 minutes.
Either method can help reduce swelling and may take away some of the pain in the knees.
When using ice, a person should be sure to wrap the ice pack in a towel or cloth to avoid directly placing it on their body, as direct contact may damage the skin and cause pain.
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Consider Knee Joint Injections
There are several types of knee joint injections that can provide long-term relief from knee pain when more conservative measures have failed. Corticosteroid injections can provide relief from pain and swelling. Hyaluronic injections rejuvenate the cushioning and lubrication in the knee.
Knee joint injections are generally recognized as safe, but there are risks and side effects. Its important to talk to your doctor about all of your options.
Why Do My Knees Hurt After Running
Why do you run? Because it feels good. Because it relieves stress. Because it enables you to eat cake. I get that, because running is also important to me. Im a 32-time marathoner who knows how frustrating it is to be injured. Its the reason I became a sports doctor. Ripping my anterior cruciate ligament playing football when I was in medical school was devastating, but it was the single most important event to influence my work. Its what drives me to help my patients. Almost every day I treat runners with achy knees. Many are freaked out: can I still run? Will I have to switch to swimming? Thankfully, most knee problems wont keep you off the road for long. Heres what you need to know about common knee injuries.
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The Joint Pain Relief Workout: Healing Exercises For Your Shoulders Hips Knees And Ankles
Is joint pain holding you back? Perhaps an achy ankle or sore knee is making it difficult to enjoy a run through your favorite park or even taking a short walk. Or maybe a throbbing hip or shoulder prevents you from whacking a golf ball or performing simple tasks like carrying a bag of groceries. The exercises in this report, The Joint Pain Relief Workout: Healing exercises for your shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles, can help relieve ankle, knee, hip, or shoulder pain, and help you become more active again, which can help you stay independent long into your later years.
Q: My Test For Rheumatoid Arthritis Came Back Negative What Else Could Be Causing My Joint Pain
James Dillard: If pain were present on only one side of your body, I might look at the possibility of a repetitive strain injury. But because youre having symmetrical pain, Id check for inflammatory arthritis . Other, more rare causes of this kind of pain include lupus, scleroderma, Lyme disease, psoriatic arthritis, and gout.
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Did You Know That Inactivity Is Actually Hard On Your Knees
Between working from home and being glued to the television watching the latest election updates, many of us are guilty of increased couch potato behavior lately. And weve all heard of the dangers of sedentary lifestyles contributing to obesity, etc., but did you know that *not* moving can actually weaken your knees and increase your chances of osteoporosis?
Continue reading for more from Noyes Knee Institute and the Journal of Public Health.
Do you spend a lot of time sitting? Maybe you work at an office where most of your time is at your desk, or maybe when youre at home, you prefer to rest on the couch instead of being on your feet. Many people live a mostly inactive lifestyle, but they might not realize that inactivity can be the reason why they experience increased joint pain.
Learn the reasons why inactivity can hurt your knees and what you can do to change it.
Weakens Your Knees
If you live a life or limited activity, your body adapts to that lack of motion. Essentially, when you arent using your legs muscles, ligaments, and joints for moderate levels of activity, you are losing them. Your knees become weaker as you require less of them.
If you spend your day sitting, you also experience pain in other areas that can also aggravate the knee. Your quadriceps become tight, which exert a pulling sensation on your knees.
Increases Your Risk of Arthritis Pain
Promotes Weight Gain
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What To Do If Your Knees Hurt When It Rains
Live by the mantra, motion is lotion, says Grahlman. That means you should move the joint as much as possible. If you stop moving because of pain, its going to hurt even more when you do move. The body doesnt just respond to stimulus, it responds to a lack of stimulus as well.
Beyond just doing low-impact exercises like yoga, swimming, or easy cycling, find someone to help you develop an appropriate strength training program as well. That can help you maintain strength and a good range of motion that will keep pain down over the long run, Grahlman explains.
A true strength training program one that includes ample fundamental movement skills and drills, and takes athletes bodies to end ranges of motion under appropriate loads, says Bryant. Consistency in such a program helps the athlete maintain a body with more than enough joint mobility and stability to handle Mother Natures ups and downs.
To cut down on the episodic pain, Dr. Fredericson says, Consider an anti-inflammatory diet to decrease systemic inflammation, which is associated with increased inflammatory markers in the joints. A taste-friendly anti-inflammatory diet: the Mediterranean diet.
When the weathers bad and your joints are hurting, also try to stay warm with additional layers of clothing, take frequent warm showers, baths, or saunas, and consider pain medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, curcumin, or CBD, Dr. Fredericson says.
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When To See Your Doctor
Don’t wait if your knee pain is sudden and intense. Pick up the phone if it won’t go away or gets worse.
To make a diagnosis, your doctor might take X-rays or other images of your knee. Blood or knee fluid samples can help confirm or rule out certain conditions. Treatment may include medication, special exercises, braces, or in some cases surgery. Losing weight could help lessen pressure and strain on your knees.
Youre Dealing With Bursitis
Bursitis is the swelling of the bursa, a small, fluid-filled sac that acts like a cushion between a bone and other moving body parts, like your muscles, tendons, or skin, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases .
Bursitis can cause swelling and pain around your muscles, bones, and joints. Bursa are found in many parts of your body, but bursitis happens the most often in the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles, In the bursa, there are a high concentration of nerves that create pain when there is swelling and inflammation due to a traumatic or overuse injury, Dr. Gasbarro says.
You can also develop bursitis from an unrelated injury, like limping after you have low back painthat can lead to bursitis in your knee or hip, Dr. Gerhardt says.
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