Why Do I Get Knee Pain When Walking? – And What To Do About It
Suffering from annoying knee pain when walking, finding it harder and harder to do the weekly shop, and missing out on weekend strolls?
Knee pain is a prevalent problem for people over 50, and we understand how frustrating it can be.
Many patients visit our clinics after seeing their physician and being told to take painkillers and rest or that it’s just something that they will have to live within their retirement...
But what if you don’t want to rely on painkillers, and you don’t want to miss out on spending quality time with your friends and family in your retirement because of nagging knee pain?
That’s where we can help...
In this blog article, we will cover:
• The most common causes of knee pain when walking
• Simple advice to ease knee pain
• Quick and easy at-home exercise to help reduce knee pain
• Natural, drug-free solutions to your knee pain
The Most Common Cause of Knee Pain When Walking
Knee pain when walking can be caused by many reasons, but generally, the pain will fall into two categories:
1. A sharp, shooting pain behind the knee when walking: This pain is commonly associated with a pulled muscle following a sporting injury, a trip or fall, or an accident. The severity of the pulled muscle will vary, and it may heal by itself, or you may need professional support to recover fully.
If you are suffering from a sharp, shooting pain behind your knee when walking, this is more likely to be related to a pulled muscle, and we have an entire blog article specifically related to this problem.
Click Here To Learn What To Do When You Pull A Muscle
2. A dull ache or throbbing pain behind the knee when walking: The second type of pain is commonly caused by Osteoarthritis, which causes joints to become painful and stiff. It usually affects people over the age of 50, and it’s the most common type of arthritis in the UK.
After walking (approximately 30 minutes onwards), the knee pain will typically flare up and cause discomfort behind the knee and surrounding area.
If the knee pain is caused by Osteoarthritis and aggravated by walking, the pain will usually subside after a few hours once you have stopped.
However, if you have a hectic day (relative to your everyday life), then the knee pain may last for several days.
For example, if you do the weekly shopping, have a lot of housework, and then take the grandchildren out to the park, you may find knee pain lasts for days afterward.
Fast Knee Pain Relief
You can do some simple things for fast knee pain relief that don’t involve reaching for the painkillers.
When you are suffering from knee pain, applying heat can be incredibly beneficial – Use a heat pack or hot water bottle to the affected knee for 15-20 minutes which should reduce stiffness and will likely provide fast knee pain relief.
Another critical thing to remember is that pain behind the knee when walking will worsen and occur more often if you go through long periods of inactivity. So a practical tip can be to keep active (during the day and throughout the week).
For example, try to avoid sitting for long periods each day and aim to move every hour if you find that knee pain and stiffness are a problem.
If you feel like you need to increase your activity level, Randy, one of our expert physical therapists, advises you to do this gradually, which will help avoid making the problem worse.
Finally, several exercises can be beneficial in reducing knee pain and minimizing the severity and frequency in the future...
Quick And Easy At-Home Exercise If You Suffer From Knee Pain When Walking
Watch Rob demonstrate a quick and easy at-home exercise that you can do if you suffer from knee pain when walking. This exercise is very safe for people of all ages and helps stretch tight muscles and loosen stiffened joints which should reduce discomfort behind the knee.
1. To start, sit on a chair
2. By bending one knee, bring your heel under the chair as far as you can
3. Hold the position for one second (you may feel a stretch on the top of your leg)
4. Gently straighten your knee with a focus on pointing your toe toward you
5. Hold the position for one second (you may feel a stretch on the back of your lower leg or the back of your knee/upper leg)
6. Return to the starting position
7. Repeat for 10 repetitions, and do the same for the other leg
Suppose your condition or injury is relatively minor. In that case, applying the advice of keeping active and regularly exercising may be enough to strengthen the muscles surrounding the knee and avoid the knee becoming stiff and painless.
However, suppose your condition or injury is more severe, and the discomfort worsens. In that case, you may benefit from some more advanced pain relief techniques and more specific exercises tailored to your individual needs...
More Natural, Drug-Free Solution To Your Knee Pain
Our founder, leading Physical Therapist, and Statesman-Examiner Featured Contributor, Rob Sumner, has written a FREE downloadable report for anyone suffering from knee pain and wants to know...
“How To Stop Chronic, Daily Annoying Knee
Pain WITHOUT Injections, WITHOUT Taking Painkillers and WITHOUT Having To Wear A Support or Brace”.
Click Here To Download Your FREE Knee Pain Report
Over the last 10 years, we have helped THOUSANDS of people in the North East across; Colville, Kettle Falls, Chewelah, and Northport, and more and more people are putting their faith in our office.
If you’re currently stuck wondering whether physical therapy is right for you, we have put together an entire article on how we can help you get started.
Click Here To Access this Page
Start Your Journey To A Life Without Knee Pain
If you realize that your knee pain is only getting worse, you are missing out on creating treasured memories with your friends and family, and you want expert help from the best physical therapist for knee pain in the Tri-County Area.
A discovery consultation is the first step to a happier, healthier, and more active life, so click the link below to arrange your FREE discovery consultation – we can’t wait to meet you!
Click Here To Arrange Your Free Discovery Consultation
Alternatively, you can call us on 509.684.5621
Want to read more about knee exercises?
Check out Rob’s weekly column in the newspaper; Statesman Examiner.
