Excruciating Knee Pain- can’t work out? 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 is the most common among the young adults. Knee pain today has become one of the most common orthopaedic 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, the reason being wrong footwear, injury, bad and sedentary lifestyle, body weight, etc. 

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 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 to start using a 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 a 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 your knee. 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 better and stronger knee muscle

3. Avoid running, squats, jumping movements

4. Eat food that makes 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 in Omega 3 like flaxseed and fish

10. Homemade 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 and D3 uptake. Sources can be milk, cheese, cottage cheese, egg yolk (avoid it if you 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.