Treating knee pain: Which sports make everything worse & what works against the pain

Created: 08/11/2022 10:09 am

By: Juliane Gutmann

Injury or wear and tear: The two most common causes of knee problems.

Find out here what can be behind knee pain - and which treatment is suitable.

• The knee joints are among the largest joints in the body.

• It doesn't matter whether you're climbing stairs, going for a walk or getting out of bed in the morning: your knees are constantly challenged - and are therefore susceptible to signs of wear and tear.

• Injuries can also promote knee arthrosis - one of the most common causes of knee pain.

Depending on how the pain manifests itself and in which situations it occurs, doctors divide knee problems into different categories.

Therapy recommendations also vary depending on the cause.

An overview of the most common causes that can be behind knee problems:

• knee osteoarthritis

• kneecap arthrosis

• knee instability

• Kneecap instability (patella luxation)

• cruciate ligament tear

• meniscus tear

Cartilage damage (arthrosis) is often the result of wear and tear, so many older people suffer from arthrosis.

In addition to signs of wear, injuries such as a cruciate ligament or meniscus tear are among the most common causes of knee pain.

Your knees don't work anymore?

Joint-gentle sports strengthen the muscles.

If the pain is already there, the following measures will help.

© Swen Pförtner/dpa

Physiotherapy, heat, cold or bandages: Conservative therapies for knee pain

In order to initiate the appropriate therapy, the cause of the symptoms must first be determined.

This can only be done by a specialist, an orthopedist is the right contact person here.

Depending on his diagnosis, he will recommend the appropriate treatment.

As a first step, the doctor treating you will recommend conservative therapy.

These include:

• physical therapy

• Use of shoe inserts or bandages

• Physical therapies such as heat or cold applications, electrotherapy or balneotherapy such as mud baths or fango

• taking medication

If conservative treatment is unsuccessful, knee surgery will ultimately be necessary.

Depending on the cause, various surgical methods are available, such as minimally invasive techniques or classic operations.

With the latter procedures, joint stiffening or complete joint replacements are carried out.

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What you can do yourself against knee pain

Knee problems do not necessarily indicate osteoarthritis or a serious injury.

Overexertion, such as a long hike, can also be the cause.

However, if the symptoms persist longer, a doctor should be consulted.

To relieve the symptoms as a first step, you can try the following measures:

• Rest your knees

  : After overexertion*, it can already help to rest the affected knee.

• Cool quark wraps

  : In the case of acute pain, cold usually helps against the pain, as it has an anti-inflammatory effect.

• Warm wraps with fenugreek

   for arthrosis and rheumatism: Mix fenugreek powder with hot water to form a tough paste, spread this on a compress and place another compress on top.

  Then fix the compress to the joint with a bandage and let it work for up to two hours.

• Make your own

  pain cream : According to the NDR format Visite, you can take advantage of the blood circulation-promoting and pain-relieving effect of mustard flour against joint pain.

  To do this, fill a small jar with carrier cream from the pharmacy and stir in a pinch of mustard flour.

prevent joint problems

Those who treat their joints with care reduce the risk of wear-related problems.

The following measures, among others, keep the joints healthy:

• Strengthen muscles

  : Strong muscles around the joint prevent arthrosis and other wear-related problems, as the joint is relieved.

  Targeted training on equipment is most effective.

• The right footwear

  : Anyone who wears heels frequently puts enormous strain on their knee joints.

  Better to wear flat shoes with good soles - and go without shoes as often as possible.

  This trains the foot muscles, which has a positive effect on the entire skeleton.

• Avoid sports that put stress on the knees

  : squash, tennis or football - all sports that involve sudden stopping movements damage the joints.

  Cycling, swimming or Nordic walking, on the other hand, are considered joint-gentle sports.

• In general, a lot of movement

  : who rests, who rusts - this saying can be transferred to the joints.

  Good blood circulation in the cartilage is promoted by movement, which is essential for a healthy joint.