Knee Pain When Bending

Knee pain restrains mobility a lot, due to which small tasks seem like big jobs. As a matter of fact, about 33% of visits to a doctor are for treating muscle and bone pain, where knee pain ranks highest. Along with athletes, common people are also severely affected by this problem. The knee joint is a hinge joint, which works exactly like a hinge on a door, allowing backward and forward movement. As a matter of fact, knee joints are the largest and heaviest hinge joints present in the body. Apart from moving forward and backward, the knee joints also bend, straighten, twist and rotate. This is exactly the reason, why the maximum number of injuries are caused to this joint. Now let's find out a little about knee pain when bending, causes of knee pain and knee pain exercises.

Knee Pain Causes

There are a number of causes of knee pain.

• The first cause of knee pain is injury to the knee. It can be due to a fall or an accident.
• The other, often neglected reason for a knee pain, is over use the primary form of common knee injuries.
• We usually do the activities we like repeatedly. For example, if you run very often, without giving sufficient amount of rest to your knee joint, it can give rise to knee pain in the form of chondromalacia or runners knee. In other repetitive activities can cause strain on the knee joint and cause knee pain.
• Sudden body movements like turning, stopping, pivoting, normally while playing some sport is also one of the causes of knee pain. Awkward landings from jumping may cause an impact on the knee and give rise to knee pain.
• Last but not the least, degeneration due to aging, causes knee pain.
• Swollen or torn ligaments, cartilages caused due to injury or overuse can also give rise to knee pain, while bending.
• Sometimes, the knee joint can suddenly feel frozen up, as though something is stuck in there. Chipping of a part of bone or cartilage can cause such a condition, which in turn can give rise to pain in the knee joint while bending.
• Irritation of the bursa joint can give rise to a condition, commonly called 'housemaid's knee' or 'preacher's knee'. This condition is caused due to repeated bending or repetitive actions.
• Osteoarthritis is a condition, commonly seen in people over the age of 55 to 60. This condition can affect both athletes as well as non-athletes.
• Pain in the knee while bending can result from inflammation of the tendons. Often it is overuse, which causes the inflammation.
• Damage to the knee cap causes pain as well as inflammation in the knee joint. It is the cartilage of the knee joint, which is the most affected with this condition.

Symptoms of Knee Pain while Bending

There are cartilages, which act like cushions present in between the femur and tibia. Damage caused to this soft layer underneath the knee cap causes pain, especially when bending. The pain is maximum, when there is maximum pressure between the patella and femur. This is typical, when a lot of load is applied to a bent knee. The common positions for a lot of pressure on the bent knee are going up and down a staircase, sitting on a chair, squatting, sitting cross-legged and kneeling. Along with the pain, swelling may be seen on the knee joint. In some cases, the pain may appear all of a sudden and disappear as suddenly as it appeared. Knee pain when bending, is very commonly seen in young women, as compared to men.

Countering Knee Pain while Bending

When you start experiencing knee pain, it is best to make use of RICE therapy. RICE therapy includes resting your knee as much as possible. If required you can also place your knee on an elevation. Using ice pack on the knee will help in reducing swelling, if any. Ice packs will have to be repeated every 3 to 4 hours for 10 to 15 minutes. The next step in the therapy is the use of compression on your knee. It will give additional support to the knee and help in keeping the swelling under check. If the pain is unbearable, then you will want to take a painkiller, however, it is best to consult your health care professional for the same.

If you are experiencing, this kind of pain on and off, it is important, to exercise the quad muscles. Strengthening the quads is important, as they will take the weight off the knee, which in turn will go a great way in reducing this pain. Remember quad muscles are the biggest muscle group in the body, at the same time they are the laziest. Hence, you need to exercise them, to wake them up from their deep slumber. Different stretching exercises will also prove to be useful for alleviating the condition. Along with the quadriceps, it is also important to work the hamstring muscles. These will also help in strengthening the quads and alleviate the knee problem.

Knee Pain Exercises

Here are some knee pain exercises. Before I tell you about some exercise, I would like to mention water exercises help a lot in dealing with knee pain. Therefore, you should consider swimming or may be even a walking exercise in water. If the facility is available in your vicinity, then low impact water aerobics can also be considered, but do them after seeking advice from your health care professional. At this stage, you will come back to ask me, why is it that the water exercises help in countering knee pain. When one exercises in water, the stress on the knee and ankle joint is reduced considerably.

The next is a simple therapeutic exercise. Lie flat on the ground. Stretch your legs out and turn your feet outwards. Now slowly lift your one leg up and down. Then repeat it with the other foot. As you are doing the exercise, you will feel a tightening in the inner thigh. You will have to spare 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening for this therapeutic knee exercise.

Find below some tips, which will help you in alleviating your knee pain.

• You should observe the way you walk or run. Your feet should be straight in line with your body, not duck-toed or pigeon-toed.
• When you walk, make sure your body weight is on the sole and you do not stress your foot arches.
• When you are climbing a staircase, never step only with your toes. Keep your entire foot down. While on the other hand, when you are climbing down the staircase, step down with toe first, and then bend your knee a little, so that the shock is absorbed. Transfer your weight on the leg behind.
• If you workout regularly, it is important you have a stretching regime before as well as after the workout.

To get rid of knee pain when bending, you should identify your own habits and identify the reason for the cause of the pain. Once the pain has reduced, follow the methods provided here with a conscious effort in order to minimize your knee pain when bending. If the pain persists, then you may not want to self-treat and consult your health care professional to find out the exact problem.