You might not be aware that one in four adults suffers from chronic knee pain. If you are one of those adults dealing with pain in your knees there are ways to take care of your knees to alleviate the pain. 

There is no reason you have to suffer in silence about your knees hurting. Read on to learn more so that you can feel better ASAP. 

Healthy Weight

A way to take pressure off your knees is by maintaining a healthy weight. Think about this: for every pound of weight on your body it puts four pounds of weight on your knees and the number of pounds increases when you are going up or down staircases. 

If you are currently a bit overweight for your height you want to consider losing a few pounds because the same applies. Every pound of weight lost equates to four pounds of pressure off your knees. 

Strengthen Your Muscles

It is important to improve your range of motion to protect your knee cartilage and reduce the stress that you place on your knees. Concentrate on working out the abductors, quadriceps, and hamstrings. 

At least twice a week you should be doing squats and lunges. Make sure that if you are over the age of 50 you are not squatting below a 90-degree angle because this will increase pressure on your knees. 

Posture Matters

As we age we naturally begin to stoop over or slouch. This is not good because having poor posture means that the body’s center of gravity changes and it adds stress on the hips and knees. 

Make it a point to stand nice and tall with your head in line with your shoulders and your shoulders over your hips. There are a few exercises you can take up like tai chi, Pilates, and yoga that help improve your posture. 

Listen to Your Body

It is imperative to pay attention to your body and listen to your knee pain when you experience it. If you start noticing a lot of swelling, then it’s time to take a break from running, walking, or any other high-impact activity. 

Swelling also means you should follow the RICE treatment which means resting, icing, compressions, and elevating. When your knee doesn’t respond to the RICE treatment then you have to see a doctor to evaluate if you need a knee arthroscopy procedure. This is surgery on the knee where a small camera looks inside the knee and tiny cuts are made to insert the surgical tools to complete the procedure. 

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Diet plays a major role in how much inflammation is present in your body. Inflammation is something you want to pay attention to because it can damage your joints. A major culprit of inflammation is eating processed foods because they tend to contain plenty of sugar and white flour. 

It is best to follow an anti-inflammatory plant-based diet that includes plenty of beans, fruits, vegetables, fish, and whole grains. Some foods that are very anti-inflammatory include leeks, garlic, onions, and shallots. Also, you need to make sure that you are drinking the recommended glasses of water per day for your body weight and height. 

Shoes 

You need to wear supportive shoes that are comfortable because this will promote proper alignment of your joints. Make sure that if you are exercising you choose shoes that suit the activity you are doing. Like if you’re running you need shoes that are meant for runners. 

If you’re doing normal daily activities then you need to make sure you avoid high heels. This increases how much weight you place on your knees and can lead to experiencing knee pain. 

Try Supplements

Taking certain supplements such as cod liver oil will help reduce harmful enzymes that will damage the cartilage in the joints. The bones in our body do not rub together thanks to cartilage, but as you get older sometimes this cartilage wears down.  

Other supplements that might also help with repairing cartilage include tart cherry juice, turmeric, and bromelain from pineapples. 

Now It’s Time to Take Care of Your Knees

With our list of how to take care of your knees, you can start applying what you learned. Remember that it is best to protect and prevent than to repair. Your knees are an important part of your body because they bear a lot of the weight when you are moving around. 

Make sure you keep browsing this section for more tips to keep your body in tip-top shape.