Knee pain at rest and when walking: what are the causes

He knee pain It is something very frequent, since this joint, in addition to helping us to walk and move, supports much of our weight.

The knee is the largest joint in our body and one of the most complex. It’s formed by bones, menisci, ligaments and tendons and joins the femur (the long thigh bone) to the tibia (the shin bone). But why does it show up? knee pain at rest and when walking? Knee pain can be due to different causes related to the structures that make it up and occur in different situations.

Knee pain when walking: causes

Noticing pain while we move the knee, for example when walking, is perhaps the most common. The main causes of this type of pain are:

have suffered a fracture or one soft tissue injury of the knee, like a sprained ligamentsa tendonitis (inflammation of the tendons) or a bursitis (inflammation of the fluid-filled sac that acts as a cushion between the bone and soft tissues). knee osteoarthritis causes wear of the cartilage and inflammation of the joint, which can cause pain when walking. rheumatoid arthritis It is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the joints and pain.

In this video you can discover the symptoms of chronic inflammation.

A kneecap problem (a small triangular bone located at the front of the knee), such as the chondromalacia patellaein which the cartilage under the kneecap wears away and can cause pain and creaking when walking.meniscus injuries, pads of cartilage found between the knee bones and act as shock absorbers. This type of injury is common in people who practice sports that involve sharp turnslike soccer players. runner’s knee or IT band syndrome occurs when the IT band (a connective tissue that runs from the hip to the knee) rubs against the bone and becomes inflamed, causing pain on the outside of the knee. As its name suggests, it is common in runners, and also in cyclists. knee overloadfor example due to having exercised too much. Using a inappropriate footwear it can also make the knees sore and painful.

Knee pain at rest: causes

In some cases, the knee hurts even when we don’t use it, Resting. The causes that may be behind this pain are usually a previous knee injury (either a soft tissue injury or a fracture), the osteoarthritis wave rheumatoid arthritis.

In case of arthritis, knee pain is usually constant and gets worse after sitting still for a long time. In the case of osteoarthritis, the pain is usually more intense when using the joint, but there may also be discomfort at rest.

How to take care of your knees

To avoid injuries and overloads and keep your joints healthy, keep these tips in mind:

Maintain a healthy weight and if you have a few extra pounds, try to lose them. This is perhaps the best advice for not overloading your knees, since excess weight can cause wear on the joint.Perform low-impact physical exercise (walk, swim, ride a bike…) on a regular basis. In addition to helping you maintain a healthy weight, it strengthens the muscles around your knees, which can help prevent injury. High-impact exercises (such as jumping, running on hard surfaces, or exercises that involve sharp turns) can put excessive pressure on your knees and they are not the best ones to take care of them. In any case, if you are going to practice them, remember do a good warm up before to avoid injury.Wear comfortable shoesthat adapts well to your foot and is suitable for the activity that you are going to carry out.

Refering to feedingit is convenient to include in the diet a great variety of vegetable food rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, which can help protect and strengthen joints. In particular:

The green leafy vegetableslike spinach, are especially rich in calcium and vitamin Kimportant for bone health. foods rich in omega-3like the walnuts or chiacan help reduce inflammation and improve joint health. turmericcontains a compound called curcumin that can help reduce inflammation in the joints and relieve pain. gingerhas properties anti-inflammatory which can help reduce joint pain.

If you notice pain in your knees, whether moving or at rest, it is advisable that you go to the doctor so that he can identify the cause and indicate the best treatment.