Tips to prevent knee pain

Weight loss

Carrying as few as three-four kilos can affect the use of your knees. Proper diet and exercise can help you to shed pounds and limit the pressure on knee joints, thereby minimising any chances of knee pain.

Exercise

The knee is a joint that supports a lot of weight. To keep it working, strengthen it with weight-bearing exercises. Using a programme targeted at improving joint health can help you strengthen the muscles and ligaments that support the knee so that the knee cap doesn't shift or move during normal activities.

Stretching

Apart from being a good warm-up exercise, stretching increases the flexibility of your muscles. When muscles move better they can help support joints better. This lessens the chances of injury.

Practice ergonomics

Joint pains could partially be due to poor body mechanics. When we fail to stand or sit properly, joints are pushed out of alignment and this result in joint ache. Tendons and ligaments get stretched over time and this may cause knee pain.

Protect your knee

Avoid vigorous exercises that put a lot of pressure on the knee. This can happen in team sports like hockey or soccer. It can also happen in the workplace. Improper technique when bending or lifting can also adversely affect the health of the knee.

Know your limits

Do not exert your knee joint too much. If you feel that your knee is hurting, stop what you are doing. Choose a less strenuous exercise, especially if you are getting back to exercising after a sedentary life. See a doctor to learn how to deal with your particular pain.

Get some ankle mobility

Your ankle function has a lot to do with your knee health. A lot of people have very poor ankle mobility. If you find your ankles are limiting your ability to perform certain movements, then they are probably limiting your knees' ability to absorb and transfer force correctly.

Avoid exhausting activities

Rest and avoid strenuous activities that could aggravate the pain, especially weight bearing activities

Slowly increase your physical activity

Increase your physical activity level slowly over time for example, when you begin exercising again, walk rather than run.

Consult a doctor

If your knee has been hurting for more than a week and not getting better with rest and self care, consult a doctor immediately.