Safety Tips for Healthier Knees

If you have trouble going up or down stairs without pain in your knees, you are not alone.  There are many reasons why certain activities, such as climbing or descending stairs, getting in/out of a chair or car, using the toilet, and other common daily activities can be painful on the knees.  Here are a few tips to help navigate these activities with more ease, while you also work on improving your strength, power, flexibility, and mobility in the required areas.

• Try going down the stairs a different way. Some people find relief going sideways, while others find that either a wider step, or a step with the knees turned out or weight placed more toward the toes will help with going down stairs.
• When going upstairs, also try shifting where you place your weight. You may want to place your weight more on the front/toward the toes.
• When getting off a chair or toilet seat, you can use your arms to take some of the weight off your knees and lower body muscles (this is a management strategy, but you should also be strength training for both lower and upper body muscles)
• Lean slightly forward, with legs wider and weight shifting forward (straight spine) when getting out of a chair or off a toilet. The forward shift often makes this movement much easier.
• Be careful with running, jumping, twisting at the knee, very deep knee bending (deep squats), or very deep lunges, as these activities may aggravate the knees in individuals who are experiencing knee pain.