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Helping Seniors To Alleviate Their Knee Pain

Knee pain is common in elderly people. Often, it is caused by osteoarthritis, which Canada.ca explains is “the wearing down of cartilage in the joints of the body, causing varying degrees of pain, stiffness and swelling. A majority of Canadians will be affected by it by age 70. However, there are prevention and coping strategies that can help seniors with the disease remain active and enjoy a good quality of life.”

So what can seniors do to alleviate their knee pain?

Maintain a healthy weight.

We’ve been getting this advice all our lives, haven’t we? Different people have varying opinions as to what it takes to maintain a healthy weight. But, it’s pretty hard to argue that good nutrition and exercise is a smart combination. Try to prepare meals that are largely plant-based, while also making sure that light exercise is a part of your daily routine.

“Research shows that overweight patients who lost 5% of their body weight experienced significant improvements in regard to pain and mobility,” reports RetireAtHome.com, “In addition to eating well, weight training and frequent walking can strengthen the bones and tendons in our knee joints, thereby reducing pain and deterioration. Maintaining a healthy weight and practicing regular exercise are important for all seniors, but especially those who suffer from knee pain or other health conditions.”

Wear comfortable shoes.

Most of us underestimate the impact our footwear has on our overall well-being. Consider just how often you’re wearing shoes. Anytime we leave our homes, they’re on our feet. And, for some people, they stay their feet even in the house! Shoes can impact our backs and knees by either supporting them and bringing them comfort or agitating them and bringing them pain. It’s vital you wear the right shoes to ensure painlessness in your knees.

“Imbalanced footwear can affect your gait and balance, which can contribute to knee and hip pain,” explains Anne Stein on SeniorCitizensGuide.com, “Go to a shoe store where someone can assess your gait to get the best shoes for your workout. You should never have to ‘break in’ shoes; if you put them on and exercise and they hurt, they’re not the right shoes.”

Stretch your quads.

Stretching is equally important as exercising for seniors contending with knee problems. Stein recommends a number of stretches which include focuses on the hamstrings, calves, glutes and quads.

“One popular stretch is to stand and grasp the ankle of one leg and pull up to the buttocks,” she notes, “If your knee can’t tolerate this, instead grasp something in front of you for balance, bring foot back and place on chair behind you. Tighten through glutes and push the hips forward to feel stretch.”

Invest in a stair lift.

Stair lifts eliminate the need for seniors with knee problems to walk up and down the stairs. By providing a safe and comfortable ride up and down staircases, stair lifts alleviate a lot of strain and stress. Stair lifts can be mounted on either straight or curved staircases, making it easy to access other levels of your home with any type of stair design.

If you have any questions about the stair lifts offered by LifeCare Mobility Solutions, please don’t hesitate to call us at 416-267-9800 or email us at info@lifecaremobility.ca. You may also contact us by filling out the form on our Contact page!

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