4 Bad Habits That May Be Worsening Your Knee Pain

Knee pain can be debilitating. It affects about 25% of all adults, putting limitations on your function and mobility.

Dr. Ronak Patel leads our team at Regenerative Spine and Pain Institute in Plainsboro Township and Manalapan, New Jersey, providing expert care for your knee pain. We have some practical tips on how to stop your knees from getting worse.

Habits that can worsen your knee pain

Making a few changes to your lifestyle can alleviate the progression of your knee pain.

Bad habits include:

1. Wearing improper footwear

If you wear shoes that don’t give you proper support, you can wreak havoc on your knees. Whether you’re playing sports, running errands, or going for a walk, your type of shoes matters. Be sure that you wear the right, supportive footwear for each of your different activities.

2. Eating a poor diet

An unhealthy diet full of sugar and non-nutrient foods can lead to weight gain. Trading out your old eating habits for foods rich in protein, fiber, and vitamins can help you shed weight that causes your knee pain. For every extra pound of weight you carry on your body, three pounds of pressure land on your knees when you walk. When you run, that number can triple to nine.

3. Having poor posture

Did you ever hear the saying, “Stand up straight” when you were younger? Your posture matters. If you practice the following, you can avoid unnecessary strain on your knees:

Keep your back straight
Don’t lock your knees
Use your abdominal muscles
Keep your head centered over your body
Distribute your weight evenly between your feet

When you walk and run, pay attention to how your muscles, bones, ligaments, and tendons work together, staying conscious of efficient movement. Do your best to keep your weight distributed evenly on your feet and keep an even gait.

4. Not warming up before workouts

When you jump into exercising without a proper warm-up, you can put your knees at serious risk for injury. Take at least 10 minutes to stretch your body to get your tendons, ligaments and muscles prepared for the stress of your workout. You should also let your body cool down when you’re finished.

In addition to changing these four habits, make sure you get plenty of sleep to regenerate your cells, and don’t smoke either. Smoking can dehydrate your cartilage, muscles, and other soft tissues in your knees.

Treatment for knee pain

In addition to making some lifestyle changes, we have treatment options for your knee pain, including:

When you come in for a consultation with Dr. Patel, he discusses your options to determine which treatment might be right for you.

To learn more about ways to stop your knee pain from worsening, contact our friendly office to set up a consultation with Dr. Patel and our team. Just call or use the online booking tool today.