Joint pain in the knees is incredibly common, with osteoarthritis of the knee affecting approximately 5.4 million people, according to a study by Versus Arthritis. The pain can make everyday activities like walking or climbing stairs unpleasant – and yet keeping the joint moving is one of the most important things you can do to prevent knee pain getting worse.
Fortunately, there are certain things you can do to make walking more comfortable, the simplest of which involves ensuring you are walking with the correct gait and posture. With that in mind, let’s examine how joint pain interacts with walking – as well as how the way you walk can alleviate your joint pain!
Joint movement + time = wear and tear
It’s an unfortunate fact of life that the natural process of ageing – and all the movement we do during that time – inevitably has an impact on the condition and function of our joints. Each time we walk, run, jump or even stand still for a long period of time, our knee joints are acting as both hinge and shock absorber, bearing the brunt of our body weight and its motion.
Over time, the cartilage that cushions the ends of our bones is worn down by the movement of our joints, and for some people the end result is that cartilage is worn so thin that it no longer cushions the joints at all. This is known as osteoarthritis and can result in pain, stiffness and reduced mobility caused by bone rubbing against bone in the joint.
There are two very important things that people with osteoarthritis can do to help manage the condition. The first is to maintain a healthy weight that places less strain on their joints. The second is to keep the joint active, ideally with low-impact exercises that increase strength and improve flexibility around the knee.
Walking: a great low-impact exercise
When trying to stay active with osteoarthritis, walking is one of the best forms of exercise you can do. Unlike running, walking is gentle on the joints while still keeping them moving, and even this low intensity kind of exercise helps to promote circulation that delivers essential oxygen and nutrients to the joint.
Furthermore, it’s free, requires no special equipment and is an exercise that begins as soon as you step outside your front door, making it the easiest and most simple way to undertake an activity that aids weight management, the cardiovascular system and mental health – all while also improving the discomfort in your joints.
How to make walking work for you
Walking is something that we usually do without thinking, but once you’re dealing with osteoarthritis it can be worth taking a few moments to check that you’re walking with the ideal motion and posture, as this can lessen the force applied to your knee joint, helping to redistribute pressure and lessen pain.
Shortening your stride by taking slightly smaller steps, a study has shown, could help to reduce the pressure on load-bearing joints such as your knees.
A smooth heel-to-toe rolling motion as you walk is always going to be much better than anything that feels like you are flatly stamping your feet against the ground. The rolling motion naturally associated with walking is designed to reduce impact on your feet and other load-bearing joints.
Supportive footwear and cushioned insoles can also be a great way to reduce the impact of walking on the joints, helping to make up for the cushioning that is no longer provided by cartilage in the joints.
This is even more important if you have overpronation – commonly known as flat-footed. What this means is your knee joints are taking a lot more impact as you have little natural cushioning in your foot’s arch. If you think you do have overpronation it’s important to get it diagnosed by your doctor. There are various ways of managing this, the primary one being orthotics.
Using walking poles can be helpful in terms of providing greater support for your body and taking some of the strain off your joints, while also helping provide a greater sense of balance if you are unsteady on your feet.
There has also been a study recently in the relatively new field of ‘gait retraining’, which has documented positive results for people with knee osteoarthritis adjusting the positioning of their feet while walking to take pressure off painful joints. It may be worth asking your healthcare professional or physiotherapist if there are any similar ways you can improve your gait or posture to relieve your joints.
N.B. Never make any dramatic or unnatural changes to the way you walk without the guidance of a healthcare professional; adjusting your gait to remove pressure on your knee could end up redistributing pressure elsewhere and causing problems in other joints.
A few other tips to help with knee pain
Beyond weight management and making sure you are walking correctly, there are a few other treatments you can try to alleviate joint pain in your knees.
Strengthening exercises that build muscle strength in the thighs, hips and calves can help to reduce pressure on the knee joint and worn-away cartilage. The NHS provides a helpful guide to such exercises here.
Hot and cold therapy, perhaps by taking turns applying warm compresses and ice packs, can help to ease stiffness and inflammation brought on by osteoarthritis, as can taking a warm bath or shower first thing in the morning or last thing at night.
And, of course, FlexiSEQ, which is a drug-free gel that helps to relieve the pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis by lubricating the joint. Many people find that regularly applying FlexiSEQ directly to their affected joint can provide lasting relief from the pain of osteoarthritis, making it easier for them to keep active and keep their joints healthy.