Healthy knees and solid mobility are two things any runner needs to get through their runs. However, sometimes the knees have other plans. Soreness or pain, stiffness, or weakness of the knees are a few knee-related issues an avid runner might experience from time to time.
If you’re experiencing knee pain right now, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’ll discuss what knee pain is often caused by, knee pain-safe exercises to engage in, and effective wellness services at our facility to speed up knee recovery.
Causes of Knee Pain
Knee pain can have several causes. It can be triggered from a fall or physical trauma, overusing your knee, being overweight, wearing the wrong footwear, having weak leg muscles, or even from an underlying condition like arthritis or bursitis.
Why Does Knee Pain Affect Mobility?
Knee pain doesn’t always have a negative impact on your mobility, but more often than not, it does to some degree. But why,you might wonder?
Knee pain can affect mobility for different reasons. One of the most obvious reasons for knee pain reducing your mobility or range of motion is due to the pain and discomfort itself. You might flinch, pull back, or weaken your leg shortly after stepping down with the leg of the affected knee.
Even if the pain is somewhat manageable and isn’t directly affecting your mobility, the inflammation or swelling triggered by a knee-related injury might. When inflammation or fluid build-up is present in your knee, this can make it harder to engage in particular movements, often resulting in reduced flexibility and a heavy feeling in your knee.
Can I Still Run with Knee Pain?
High-impact activities like running or jogging are usually not recommended for those experiencing knee pain, as this can further irritate the affected knee and worsen pain and inflammation.
However, in mild cases of knee pain where the diagnosis of an underlying condition has been ruled out by a medical professional, running may be fine in moderation.
Exercises to Aid with Knee Pain and Stiffness
The good news is, there are several exercises you can (and should) still engage in when you’re dealing with knee-related issues like pain and stiffness.
Consider exercises like heel slides, leg raises, hamstring stretches, or low-impact cardio workouts such as walking or swimming. Exercises such as the latter can help support active recovery, where engaging in light movements and stretches can actually aid the recovery process.
Wellness Options at Recovery Lab to Help with Knee Recovery
We want you to be your best and healthiest self – and this often starts with holistic wellness services to support the natural functions and recovery of your body.
For the sake of knee recovery, we recommend services such as NormaTec compression therapy to move fluid from your legs and boost circulation, localized cryotherapy to bring down inflammation and reduce pain, or guided mobility stretching to relax stiff muscles and improve range of motion.
Ready for relief? Call Recovery Lab today to get a session booked with one of our experts.
