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Knee Arthritis Exercises

It may be a good thing to be weak in the knees in love romantically, but quite a whole other thing just to be weak in the knees and in pain. Yet arthritis in the knee area is a common—not to mention painful– form of Osteoarthritis (OA) and Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which by themselves affect 27 million and 1.5 people in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nearly one in two adults will develop some sort of knee arthritis or pain during their lifetime, leading not only to chronic achy knees, but further stress, injuries, and health issues.

There may be a simple solution, however, as knee arthritis exercises have been said to be the best medicine for those suffering from bad knees. It has been shown to relieve the pain and stiffness that comes with knee arthritis by strengthening the muscles around the joints and improving on flexibility, range of motion, and balance.

How Knee Arthritis Exercises Help

Exercising an arthritic knee may seem odd, but it has been proven to lessen and relieve arthritis pain and other symptoms like stiffness and swelling. Different exercises vary for different individuals, but for the most part, regular motion and movement in the knee area helps joints maintain full range of motion while keeping muscles strong enough to absorb shock.

What’s more is that the exercises done do not have to be difficult to be beneficial. In fact, gentler lower impact exercises are better for those with knee arthritis, as they minimize stress on the joint while still increasing upon both flexibility and strength.

According to the CDC, people with knee arthritis should do moderate exercise for at least half an hour each day of the week to maintain better mobility and less pain. It might even be a good idea to break it down into three, 10-minute sessions per day, which works just as well.

Forms of Knee Exercises That Work Best

Often times, the very best knee exercises to do are actually the ones that you are able to simply do at home or during an office break. Not only are they easy, effective, and convenient, but don’t require special equipment, allowing individuals to gradually increase the number of repetitions as surrounding leg muscles become stronger.

Walking is also an excellent choice. It is a low-impact, weight-bearing exercise that further aids in strengthening the muscles and building the bone. Be sure to start out slow while gradually increasing pace and distance over time. Remember also to always wear good, sturdy shoes for ample support.

Water exercises, in addition, or even walking in the shallow end of a pool, are equally superb for muscle strength and knee flexibility. Because the body is buoyant in water, this choice lessens impact to near zero while making people work harder to move.

Additional exercises to consider include: Knee stretches to encourage flexibility in the knee joint and surrounding muscle; Knee strengthening exercises designed to build muscle around the knee; and low impact aerobic workouts, which build muscle and improve overall cardiac health.

When engaging in activities, remember to never bend the legs to a point where knees are sticking out past the toes– this puts unneeded pressure under the kneecap. Make sure also to do several gentle stretching exercises afterwards to help prevent muscles from tightening up.

And as always, if any pain is felt during any knee exercises, stop and seek advice from a healthcare professional or an appropriately qualified athletic trainer before continuing.

Let Us Be of Help

Move more to feel better! Contact OC Pain to let us help you determine the best exercises for you and your knees. Our qualified pain specialist doctors and physician assistants draw from a wide array of proven treatments and medical therapies to let you live life large and to the absolute fullest.