Your knee joints take you through life. With every step, your knees absorb about one-and-a-half times your body weight. This huge pressure causes the muscles and ligaments around your knees to weaken. Along with regular wear-and-tear, this pressure also causes the cartilage in your knee joint to deteriorate as you age. 

Once the knee cartilage has deteriorated, the ends of the knee bones start to rub on each other. This is called osteoarthritis and can cause knee pain along with stiffness and swelling.

While sometimes people can be predisposed to osteoarthritis, there are steps you can take to keep your knee joints healthy as you age.

Four Easy Steps to Protect Your Knee Joints As You Age

Taking proactive steps to protect your knee joints (before they start hurting) is an easy way to help reduce the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis as you age. Keep your knee joints as young as you feel by following a few simple strategies, such as:

1. Maintain a Healthy Weight: Excess weight only adds pressure to your knee joints. Specifically, every pound of weight gained adds about four pounds of extra force on the knees. 

2. Quit Smoking: Not only does smoking increase your risk of cancer, but it can cause inflammation in the body. In general, people who smoke have more cartilage loss and knee pain than people who do not. 

3. Strengthen and Stretch Your Leg Muscles: The muscles around your knee help stabilize the joint and absorb stress. By strengthening the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, you’re helping to maintain knee joint function. Regular stretching of those same muscles will increase or maintain the range of motion in your knee joints.

4. Stay Active: Regular exercise is an important part of healthy aging. Not only will it help you maintain your weight, but low-impact exercises can protect your knee cartilage and prevent deterioration and damage down the line. 

Taking these simple, yet essential, steps can help protect your knee joints from swelling, stiffness, and pain as you age. These strategies can also reduce your risk of developing knee osteoarthritis at an earlier age.

Painful Knee Joints? Don’t Ignore Your Symptoms

The best strategy for protecting your knee joints is to listen to your body. If your knee is painful and starts to swell after high-impact activities, maybe it’s time to switch to lower-impact sports (like swimming or yoga). Additionally, don’t push yourself beyond your body’s limits. Make sure to give your knees a break from activity if you notice any pain or aching. 

Make sure to speak with an orthopaedic physician about your knee pain. This is especially important if you’re experiencing any of the below symptoms:

• Prolonged or repetitive pain, swelling, and tenderness in the knee

• Constant knee pain that increases in severity over time

• Feelings of knee instability, including locking or buckling

• Sensations of grinding, cracking, or popping in the knee

• Impacted range of motion

• Noticeable deformities in the knee

If caught early enough, knee osteoarthritis can be treated conservatively. Dr. Cafferky and his team typically attempt the following nonsurgical methods to help manage pain and improve mobility:

• Physical Therapy

• Bracing

• Nonprescription pain and anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and acetaminophen

If these treatments fail to relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis, Dr. Cafferky may recommend knee replacement surgery.

Questions About Your Knee Joint Health? Contact Team Cafferky Today

Dr. Cafferky and his team at Vail-Summit Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery are here to help you keep your knees healthy as you navigate the golden years of life. If you have questions about your knee joint health or suffer from knee osteoarthritis, contact Team Cafferky today!

With three convenient clinics in Eagle and Summit County, Dr. Cafferky can often take same or next-day appointments. Call to request a consultation at (970) 476-1100 or send a request through our online portal.