Our knees do a lot of heavy lifting, so it's wise to look after them if you want to avoid arthritis. Walk daily. Aim for at least 6,000 steps a day if you can. The quadriceps muscles on the front of the thigh are crucial for stabilising the knee.
The muscles of the hip (forward and backward movements) keep your pelvis level and minimise knee stress. Walk backwards a bit at least once a day as it lowers the load on your knees while also strengthening the muscles around the knee.
Single-leg squats are perfect for working your quads and hips. Stand upright with your hands on your hips and raise your left foot. Hinge forward slightly as you bend the right knee and carefully lower down without it collapsing inwards. Try to get a bit lower each week.
Since your knees bear your weight, they get a lot of wear and tear - especially if you're overweight. Low-impact sports such as cycling and swimming are good, but high-impact ones, including racquet sports, can put too much strain on the knee. In the gym, use an elliptical trainer.
Is a sore joint always serious ?
Symptoms ( In an infant) Sore joint or joints, difficulty in movement, possibly has a fever, loss of appetite.
It could be Joint pain in an infant is always serious. There could be an important underlying condition, like infection or an allergic reaction.
Stop it Call your doctor who might tell you to take your child immediately to a hospital. It could be an emergency depending on the condition.
Symptoms (In an adult) Joint pain and stiffness following unusual activity, even going to sleep in a strange position.
It could be Prolonged unusual activity like home decorating, weeding the garden, sleeping through a long-haul flight or a sports injury, which didn't concern you much at the time.
Stop it See your doctor, who will probably give you medicine to relieve pain and inflammation, and may recommend a course of physiotherapy.
Symptoms (In an older person) Pain and stiffness, possibly with a grinding sound when the joint is moved.
It could be Osteoarthritis (OA) due to wear and tear on the joint or due to obesity. If more than one joint is painful, it could be rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Stop it It's essential to see your doctor to distinguish between OA and RA and possibly osteoporosis, and start physiotherapy.
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