Is Walking Good for Knee Pain?

Is Walking Good for Knee Pain?

  • knee pain

If you’re suffering from debilitating knee pain, moving — much less walking — could be the furthest thing on your mind. However, depending on the cause of your knee pain, a bit of exercise like walking could do you a world of good.

When the cause of your knee pain is an injury, like a sprained, dislocated, or fractured knee, applying RICE (rest, ice, compress, elevate) during the first 48 hours and getting adequate rest are crucial for recovery. But for those with chronic knee pain (as in the case of arthritis), walking may help alleviate the aches that bother you every day.

So, if you’re looking to integrate some light exercise like walking into your daily routine, you’re on the right track. In this post, we’ll talk about the effects of knee pain on daily life, the benefits of walking for knee pain, and tips to go about it in a safe and effective manner.

 

How Knee Pain Affects You

When chronic knee pain takes over your life, it can keep you from enjoying simple, everyday activities. Since knee pain limits your range of motion, standing up, kneeling, and simply getting around your home can be quite challenging. This is why gradually integrating a bit of movement in the affected area can work wonders — and one way to do this is by walking.

Granted, the beginning could make you feel a little bit stiff or sore — especially after a period of minimal movement or near-total inactivity — but walking can actually help with your knee pain. However, before embarking on any type of exercise or fitness routine, you need to ensure your physician has approved your decision to start walking.

 

Benefits of Walking for Knee Pain

So, is walking good for knee pain?

Our short answer is: Yes, walking can help ease chronic knee pain.

Walking is a simple yet effective low-impact activity for knee pain sufferers, including those diagnosed with knee arthritis. As a gentle form of exercise, walking does not put undue stress on the joints. Moreover, it can help increase the range of motion in the affected area and prevent it from becoming overly stiff.

knee pain

 

Other benefits of engaging in regular knee walking exercises include the following:

  • It helps lubricate and rebuild joints.
  • It improves blood circulation in the legs.
  • It strengthens the thigh and calf muscles.
  • It leads to healthy weight loss, which, in turn, reduces stress on the knees.
  • It helps improve balance and coordination.

 

 

How do I stop knee pain when walking?

Even if you’re excited to start walking again, one big concern here would be how to reduce knee pain while walking. Therefore, taking baby steps is key. So, take it easy in the beginning.

What exercise is good for knee pain?

Aside from walking, other low-impact exercises you should try include stretching, swimming, and water aerobics. These are all effective for relieving knee pain and work great to strengthen your leg muscles gently. As you gain leg strength, you can also start using an exercise bike or elliptical trainer to complement your other activities.

 

Tips for Walking to Relieve Knee Pain

Walking with knee pain — especially in the beginning — can be quite challenging and physically taxing. However, this shouldn’t discourage you from starting, as walking can be the solution you need to overcome chronic knee pain.

Before going “all-out” with your walking, work on minimizing knee pain first by doing the following:

  • Practice walking barefoot at home.
  • Maintain a good posture.
  • Wear flexible, comfortable, lightweight, but supportive footwear that easily bends in the forefoot area while practicing.
  • Warm-up first by gently massaging your knees and doing some simple stretching exercises.
  • Limit the duration of your walks in the beginning and do so on even or level terrain.
  • If you need to, use a cane or walking poles to reduce the stress of walking on your knees.
  • Gradually integrate lower body strengthening exercises as you build up strength and start walking more.

As you gain more confidence and strength in your legs and experience less knee pain, you can lengthen your walking time and start covering more challenging terrain.

Does knee pain go away?

Yes, knee pain can go away, but it depends on what’s causing it and what steps you’re taking to alleviate your condition. With regular exercise, you’ll be losing weight and developing stronger leg muscles — so walking can help provide relief from knee pain.

Pre-Walk

Pre-walk preparation is crucial to enjoy and benefit from your exercise. Make sure you wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Take everything you need to enjoy your walk, and this should include drinking water and light snacks.

You could also warm up your knees with a light massage or by using a hot pack. You could also do some light stretches to prepare your legs for the walk ahead.

How Much to Walk

walking for knee pain

 

When you’re just starting out with walking, do so at least three times a week. Depending on your condition or level of knee pain, you can start by walking three sets of 10-minute walks (with breaks in between) within a day. Then, gradually build this up to a single 30-minute walk per day.

You can increase the intensity, speed, and duration of your walk as you progress further. You can also start walking on more challenging terrain as the condition of your knees improves.

 

 

Is too much walking bad for the knees?

As they say, anything in excess is dangerous — and this applies to walking with knee pain, too. This is especially true if you’ve only just begun your walking routine. So, don’t sabotage your efforts by pushing yourself too hard prematurely. It’s best to comply with your doctor’s or therapist’s recommendations to get the best results.

Post-Walk

After your walk, cool down by walking at a slower, more relaxed pace for 5 to 10 minutes. You can also do some post-walking leg stretches to reduce post-exercise soreness. If you have knee arthritis, you can prevent inflammation by cooling your knees with ice packs for 20 minutes.

 

Overcome Knee Pain by Walking

Walking for knee pain is an effective way of strengthening your knees and legs and improving your quality of life. Safely begin walking by following the tips shared here.

If you suffer from chronic pain, you can access helpful resources on our website or get in touch with us directly at Carolinas Pain Center.

What Happens if Chronic Pain Is Left Untreated?

  • chronic pain treatment

If you’re one of the millions of people that suffer from chronic pain, you should be undergoing chronic pain treatment. Why? Because persistent pain decreases quality of life, often significantly. Moreover, untreated or even undertreated pain can lead to serious consequences.

Treating chronic pain is extremely important, as untreated pain can have profound impacts on your body. It can affect all the major organ systems, causing immense discomfort and interfering with essential daily activities. In some cases, chronic pain that has gone untreated may even threaten your life.

In this post, we cover the basics of chronic pain and provide chronic pain examples and information to help folks from all walks of life reduce discomfort and avoid the consequences of untreated chronic pain.

 

Types of Chronic Pain

So, what happens if chronic pain is left untreated and you don’t get chronic pain treatment? Well, pain can intensify and complications can occur, which could be dangerous. But, before we get into that, we will answer the question, “What is chronic pain?” and look at the types that can affect people.

Chronic pain is pain in the body that persists for three months or longer. It may be constant or intermittent, as well as mild, moderate, or severe. Sharp, dull, aching, stinging, gnawing, nagging, throbbing, pounding, shooting, stabbing, and radiating are words commonly used by sufferers to describe their pain.

There are various types of pain that can affect an individual chronically. These include back pain, neck pain, headaches, testicular pain, and pain from diseases such as arthritis or cancer. People may also experience neurogenic pain, muscular pain (e.g., from fibromyalgia), and pain from injuries.

As mentioned, chronic pain can affect the major systems of the body, including the endocrine system, the cardiovascular system, the immune system, the neurologic system, and the musculoskeletal system. When this occurs, pain may spread and intensify. Harmful conditions can develop, along with new symptoms.

 

 

Consequences of Untreated Chronic Pain

What can chronic pain lead to? Why do you need chronic pain treatment? Can chronic pain lead to death? These are questions that people suffering from persistent pain frequently ask, and they should. Knowing the answers to them can help avert potentially fatal complications and improve life quality.

Chronic pain, when it affects the mechanism inside the body that regulates blood pressure, increases the risk of developing hypertension. This can lead to heart attacks and strokes. When the pain affects the endocrine system, the immune system may weaken, reducing the body’s ability to prevent and fight infections.

“Deconditioning” is another reason why chronic pain management is necessary. Pain affecting a particular part of the body, such as an arm or leg, often causes persons with pain to limit the movement and use of it. This can result in mobility issues and injuries due to weakness of the muscles, nerves, and joints.

In many individuals, there can be neuropsychiatric problems from untreated chronic pain. Issues such as memory loss, attention deficit, anxiety, and depression are common in long-term pain sufferers, and some increase the risk of suicide. Brain disorders and sexual dysfunction can also result from enduring pain.

 

Treatment for Chronic Pain

Typically, chronic pain does not go away. Chronic pain treatment is required to reduce discomfort and prevent complications and other symptoms. Treating lasting pain generally involves identifying and addressing its cause.

Medical professionals treat and manage chronic pain in a variety of ways. The approach that is taken depends on the type of pain you have, the cause of the pain, and your age and overall health. Often, healthcare providers will use a combination of treatment methods and strategies to alleviate pain.

Healthcare specialists may prescribe lifestyle changes (e.g., stress, exercise, diet, sleep, etc.) and medications to relieve chronic pain, such as corticosteroids, anticonvulsants, opioids, muscle relaxers, and NSAIDs. Medical marijuana can also be useful, and sedatives can help with insomnia and anxiety.

Other medical treatments for chronic pain include transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, nerve blocks, epidural steroid injections, and specialized therapies. Cognitive behavioral therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and talk therapy are the main therapy treatment options. Additionally, some people may find alternative pain treatments helpful.

Finding Treatment

chronic pain treatmentFinding chronic pain treatment isn’t hard; it’s just a few clicks or phone call away. However, prolonged pain can be a complex medical issue that is difficult to diagnose and treat. When that is the case, chronic pain sufferers may have to see one or more specialists. In severe cases, a multidisciplinary treatment team may be required.

Different types of specialists are available for treating chronic pain. They include pain medicine specialists, orthopedic doctors and surgeons, osteopathic doctors, and rheumatologists. Your GP can refer you as appropriate. There are also various types of therapists and neurologists that can help with the pain.

What does a neurologist do for chronic pain? They can diagnose and treat neuropathic pain caused by nerve disease. Pain signals are sent by the nerves, and neurologists can prevent pain signal generation and keep pain signals from reaching the brain using advanced medical techniques and technologies.

Depending on where you live, there may be pain centers and clinics that you can visit. These are healthcare facilities that focus on the diagnosis and management of chronic pain and provide physical, behavioral, and psychological therapies.

 

Don’t Leave Your Chronic Pain Untreated

Chronic pain can last for years and make it difficult or impossible to work, enjoy life, and take care of yourself or others. And because untreated and undertreated chronic pain has a tendency to get worse and can have dire consequences, chronic pain treatment is not something that you want to put off.

How long can you live with chronic pain? That depends on the patient and cause of the pain. But why put yourself at risk and suffer unnecessarily when there are life-altering treatments available? If you’re a chronic pain sufferer, seek treatment. There are ways to reduce, manage, and possibly eliminate your pain.

At Carolinas Pain Center, we specialize in dealing with all kinds of pain and have successfully treated hundreds of patients. If you’re interested in getting professional chronic pain treatment, make an appointment today. Alternatively, you can browse our website and learn more about us here.

Warning Signs of Neuropathy

  • neuropathy symptoms

Are you living with chronic pain? If you’re regularly experiencing things like pain, muscle weakness, and numbness, you could be suffering from an undiagnosed chronic pain disorder. Neuropathy is a very common chronic pain condition, particularly among adults with diabetes, people receiving chemotherapy, and people living with HIV. 

If you’re not familiar with neuropathy, it’s important to know the warning signs. In this post, you’ll learn the beginning symptoms of neuropathy, how to manage neuropathy, and more about the condition itself. This information will empower you to seek help from a medical professional if you suspect that you have the condition or are currently struggling to manage the symptoms. 

What Is Neuropathy?

Neuropathy, or peripheral neuropathy, is damage or dysfunction of one or more nerves. Rather than a single condition, neuropathy refers to a variety of health problems and the resulting symptoms that involve peripheral nerve damage. Neuropathy can be caused by diabetes, chemotherapy, HIV, physical trauma, autoimmune disorders, vascular disorders, vitamin deficiencies, and more.

This condition is chronic, incurable, and can affect people of all ages. However, there are ways of managing its symptoms and slowing its progression. Unfortunately, many people that are living with neuropathy have no idea that they’re suffering from nerve damage. That’s why it’s so important to know the various neuropathy symptoms.

Diagnosing Neuropathy

neuropathyThe beginning of neuropathy typically presents several symptoms, including tingling in the feet, burning sensations, hypersensitivity to touch or temperature, weakness, and balance issues. You may also have cuts or injuries that you don’t notice or aren’t healing properly, as neuropathy can affect your ability to feel pain. 

Neuropathy is a slow-moving disease with symptoms that progressively worsen over months and years if left untreated. The worst symptoms of neuropathy, which tend to occur when the condition is untreated for too long, include foot ulcers and bacterial infections that can lead to gangrene. 

If you suspect that you may be suffering from neuropathy, it’s essential to seek help from a medical professional today. Your doctor may then refer you to a neurologist to run tests for neuropathy, which include blood and imaging tests, nerve biopsies, and more. Once diagnosed, you can seek out a treatment plan for your condition from a chronic pain specialist. 

Neuropathy Management

If you manage neuropathy properly, you can lessen your symptoms and greatly slow the progression of the condition. Your doctor may prescribe certain medications to manage the pain, but there are things you can do at home to ease the symptoms. This includes eating a healthy diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein while being wary of foods that may trigger neuropathic pain, such as caffeine, nuts, and citrus fruits.

Taking care of your feet and engaging in regular exercise also make a difference. Though some fear that walking worsens neuropathy, it can actually help reduce your symptoms. Also, try to avoid excessive alcohol consumption, quit smoking, and monitor your blood glucose levels carefully if you have diabetes.  

You can also seek out personalized treatment for neuropathy in legs and feet, as well as hands, with your nearest pain specialist. 

Our Pain Specialists Can Help

Receiving proper treatment and managing neuropathy properly will make your symptoms much more tolerable, improving your quality of life. Now that you know the warning signs of neuropathy, you can determine if it’s necessary to reach out to a medical professional for help. 

If you live in the Charlotte or Huntersville area, we encourage you to reach out to the Carolinas Pain Center. Our pain specialists serve patients dealing with all types of pain, including neuropathy. We’ll provide you with a personalized care and treatment plan to help you manage your symptoms and slow the progression of the condition. 

To make an appointment with us, please call 704-500-2332 or fill out our online form. We will get back to you as soon as possible. 

Tips for Dealing with Chronic Pain

  • chronic pain

Pain occurs when receptor nerve cells send messages to your brain that your body is hurting. The cause of pain is often obvious, such as a visible bruise or cut. This type of discomfort is called acute pain. Individuals can also suffer from chronic pain, which is ongoing discomfort that may not have a visible source. You may not know how to control pain of this variety. 

You can suffer from chronic pain due to disease, fatigue, internal injuries from an accident, or psychological issues.

Chronic pain is a significant problem because it can affect your mental and emotional well-being and harm your career and relationships. You may find it hard to be happy and enjoy life with chronic pain.

Furthermore, this pain can be debilitating, but it may not qualify as a disability according to insurance companies or employers.

Here is what you need to know about handling chronic pain and what your rights are if you suffer from debilitating discomfort.

What Is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is different from acute pain because of its duration. Pain becomes chronic when it continues beyond the expected recovery period.

Chronic pain can be constant, or it can come and go repeatedly. It is often difficult to treat, and physicians may focus on offering temporary symptom relief.

Migraines are one of the most common forms of chronic pain. These chronic headaches come and go, and physicians often have difficulty isolating their cause.

Conditions such as arthritis or fibromyalgia can also cause debilitating pain. Occasionally, the chronic discomfort is due to an underlying disease, such as cancer or diabetes.

Finally, muscle or tissue damage from accidents, burns, or other types of trauma can cause chronic pain.

Is Chronic Pain a Disability?

chronic pain disability

 

Chronic pain is a disability if it keeps you from doing the activities necessary for daily living, like walking, driving, and doing basic housework.

Unfortunately, chronic pain itself does not qualify you for disability help, such as Social Security benefits. You may be eligible based on the underlying cause of the pain. However, you have to provide documentation of treatments, diagnoses, prescriptions, and the persistence and intensity of the pain.

In most circumstances, you also need to show that the pain has kept you from working or performing daily tasks. The pain needs to last for a year or more before insurers and the Social Security Administration consider it a disability.

 

Pain Coping Strategies

Chronic pain can be stressful and lead to psychological issues and low quality of life. However, you can use proven pain coping strategies, along with treatment, to improve your functionality. 

Here are some ideas for how to control pain: 

chronic pain

  1. Get physically active.
  2. Attend counseling if you feel the pain is affecting your mental health.
  3. Work with a psychologist to learn how to deal with pain so that it does not harm your mental health.
  4. Try alternative treatments, such as acupuncture or massage, for untreatable conditions like arthritis or migraines.
  5. Find a support group for people with similar problems.
  6. Be mindful at home and work of activities that trigger your pain.
  7. Take pain relievers prescribed by your doctor.
  8. Get adequate rest each night and maintain a healthy diet.

 

 

You can also ask your doctor about possible diet changes or other lifestyle choices that can help in coping with chronic pain.

How to Get Help for Your Chronic Pain

The key to treating and coping with chronic pain is to find a physician who is willing to work on a personalized plan that fits your specific situation and needs.

Carolinas Pain Center can tailor chronic pain coping strategies and a treatment program to fit your individual needs. We offer an interdisciplinary approach that relies on medication — modern and traditional — so that you can deal with the pain and have the best chance of getting back to a normal life. Contact Carolinas Pain Center to find out more about our chronic pain services.