4 Surprising Reasons Your Knees Hurt
By Amber Page
You never realize how much you use your knees until they start hurting. Once they do, everything becomes difficult -- shopping for groceries, walking the dog, even climbing the stairs to put your kids to bed at night can be tough.
Sometimes, you can connect your pain to a recent injury. But for many of us, knee pain just sneaks up on us and we have no idea why.
But don't be too quick to attribute your pain to getting old. There are a number of reasons your knees could be hurting -- many of them very fixable.
Be Honest With Yourself About Your Weight
How are the numbers of the scale looking? If your weight has been creeping up, it could be having an impact on your knees and other joints.
Every time you take a step, you're putting pressure on your joints equivalent to two to four times your body weight -- and even more if you're wearing heels.
For example, say you weigh about 150 pounds. With each step, you're putting at least 300 pounds of pressure on your knees. If you then gain 20 pounds, that number goes up to 340. If your weight increases to 190, you've likewise increased the pressure to 380.
The good news is, losing just 10 pounds eliminates 20 pounds of pressure, which can have a big impact. So if you're overweight and your knees hurt, you might want to think about trying to slim down.
Check Your Posture
You might be wondering what posture has to do with knee pain. The truth is, it has a lot to do with it!
When you're slumping, you're leaning forward, which puts your body off balance and puts added pressure on your knees. It's much better to stand up straight with your shoulders centered over your abdomen and your head centered between shoulders.
To fix your posture, try core-strengthening exercises like planks, back extensions, Pilates, and yoga.
Take a Good Look at Your Shoes
If you tend to buy shoes for looks rather than comfort, you might want to re-evaluate your priorities.
The wrong shoes can change the way your feet are positioned in relation to your knees, putting your body off balance and adding pressure to your joints.
It is possible to buy shoes that are both comfortable and stylish -- you just have to look a little harder (and maybe say goodbye to any tall heels). But your knees will thank you for making the effort.
Still Have Achy Knees? See a Chiropractor.
Your chiropractor may be able to help you identify the source of your knee pain. They'll also be able to make gentle adjustments to help decrease pain and increase joint movement -- so you can get back to living your life again.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Avon Commons, Ohio.