FEELING GREAT: Do the right type of exercises to avoid or relieve knee pain

"Cartilage wear and tear is the main reason for those noises you hear when walking up and down the stairs. Listen for them next time you are on the staircase."

Last week, I told you all about the clicks and clunks your knees start to make over time. Cartilage wear and tear is the main reason for those noises you hear when walking up and down the stairs. Listen for them next time you are on the staircase.

But, now you’ve heard them, what on earth can do you do about it?

Of course, you have the option of doing nothing about it or even trying one of those knee supports, which might help (but only for a short while), or you might opt to go and see a good physio for some solid advice!

It goes without saying I suggest this option because knees have a habit of getting more painful as you move through your 50s and 60s, and you will benefit from something to slow that down – which could be a simple case of exercises to strengthen the right muscles to help protect and support your knee – done once or twice per day. Would that be so bad if it meant less painful knees?

To avoid, or get relief from, knee pain that happens because of a gradual wear and tear process, you need to be doing the right type of exercises, done in the right way, at the right time. It’s a simple message we tell patients at the Paul Gough Physio Rooms.

You must be doing routines that specifically strengthen your muscles and add control. Without control in your knee muscles, the degeneration in your knee accelerates fast.

Next, here’s a word of warning.

I hear a lot of people talking about their painful knees in conversations with friends.

Because everyone thinks they have the answers to issues like this, people are unfortunately giving each other often bad and even dangerous advice.

This is usually more confusing than it needs to be and often dilutes the importance of the message that something needs to be done – like physio.

Because there’s a lot of confusion around it, I want you to know about this medical fact: there’s a big difference between exercising and doing exercises (I define exercising as doing something like walking for 20 minutes per day, and exercises being a steady and controlled sequence of movements designed to strengthen or make flexible a specific muscle group).