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Tag: knee pain

  • Best Walking Shoes for Senior Women

    Best Walking Shoes for Senior Women

    Dating back at least twenty-five years, I started wearing shoes that provided the best support for my aching feet after waiting tables all day. Although I am no longer a server, I still seek out shoes designed for shock absorption, such as running shoes, insole supports, and footwear recommended by podiatrists. Currently, I am wearing New Balance, but I am considering switching to Hoka’s as they are what my older cousin, who is a nurse at an elder care facility in Michigan, wears.

    Furthermore, supportive footwear is essential, especially when standing on hard surfaces like concrete. Shoes with proper arch support and cushioning are making a huge difference for me. Shoes specifically designed for people who stand for long periods are built to reduce pressure on the joints and provide better shock absorption, especially as we age.

    My cousin and I are no longer spring chickens, and from what I can tell, we are not getting any younger!

    In addition to footwear, my doctors have recommended physical therapy sessions, which have helped strengthen the muscles supporting my feet, legs, and lower back, thereby creating a more stable foundation and reducing compensatory movements that have led to pain, most notably in my knees, as well as in those areas. Exercises that focus on stretching and strengthening the hip flexors, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves also improve overall alignment and reduce joint stress.

    Let’s not forget about ergonomics! I have been using anti-fatigue mats to mitigate some of the harsh impacts of standing on my tile floors in the kitchen and on the concrete floor in my laundry room for years. However, I do not have an outdoor anti-fatigue mat yet, but I will be investing in one as soon as possible.

    The mats do offer a softer surface that reduces the strain on my body, but the pain is still there, just not as intense. In fact, I just ordered some new mats for my kitchen that are supposed to be more durable for my dogs. Their nails have scratched up the current set and are chipping.

    By maintaining an open dialogue with my healthcare providers throughout my injury and pain challenges, the pain management plans have reflected any changes in my conditions as well as incorporated new strategies and treatments as needed. Effective communication about symptoms and treatments will better inform the decisions I make, enhancing the management of chronic pain big time.

    *Note: All content within this article is meant for informational purposes only and is in no way a replacement for professional medical or psychological advice or support. Seek immediate and appropriate care from a healthcare professional should you or a trusted loved one deem it necessary.

    Why does standing on concrete hurt?

    While standing on concrete and my stone driveway for about thirty-five minutes or so, and after grilling dinner for my family, I can barely walk or stand on my left leg because of intense pain in my hip. There is severe pain in my knee as well. None of this is very odd to me, except that I have had somewhat of a period of respite from five-plus years of chronic pain. Chronic pain that has been, at some point, debilitating in the following areas:                                                 

    • Left shoulder
    • Right shoulder
    • Left hip
    • Lower left back sciatica
    • Lower right back sciatica
    • Torn meniscus on left knee
    • Torn meniscus on the right knee
    • Old neck injury

    The reason why standing on concrete hurts my back, knees, and hips is that, unlike other surfaces, concrete has no give, and its inflexibility affects the body, especially for middle-aged women like me, who often feel as though they have no shock absorbers left when standing on hard surfaces.

    For example, when standing on hard surfaces, I am notably susceptible to backaches, knee pain, swollen legs, and sore feet. Because this specific pain has not been treated yet, I experience a flare-up of old injuries and suffer from chronic pain.

    Some of my best pain relief techniques involve soaking in an Epsom salt bath for at least twenty-five minutes, once a day. It makes a huge difference for me. Throughout all the years I have been in sports recovery, I have employed the following:

    • Chiropractors
    • Orthopedics
    • Physical therapists
    • Acupuncturists
    • Massage therapists
    • Cortisone shots
    • Taking it easy
    • Sports rubs
    • Epsom salt baths

    As you can see, I have tried just about everything short of getting surgery, and unfortunately, it looks like I will end up needing knee surgery after all. But now I am wondering where this recent pain is coming from. Is it coming from my hip, or is it something in my feet? Let’s find out more below.

    Link between feet and back pain

    Because all the treatments and efforts to relieve my chronic pain have not completely eradicated it, I am now wondering if the pain is coming from my feet. Well, I can tell you that every source I have researched said yes, the bunion on my foot can most definitely cause hip, back, and knee pain.

    According to podiatrists at Kew Foot Clinic, “They (bunions) are however more than just a cosmetic problem. They can become a major medical problem for several reasons. The main problem is:

    Having a distorted big toe joint along with this joint becoming rigid in its range of motion changes how a foot pivots through propulsion. When a foot can no longer pivot at this joint it reduces knee and hip flexion causing stress on these joints.

    A bunion deformity can also change the alignment of the knee and hip causing excessive internal or external knee rotation leading to scoliosis of the spine,”.

    My healthcare team told me that if I suspect my feet might be the culprit, it would be wise to consult a podiatrist for a thorough evaluation. Custom orthotics might also be beneficial, as they can provide the support needed to correct your gait and distribute weight more evenly, potentially alleviating some of the strain on my knees, hips, and back.

    Best walking shoes for senior women

    In conclusion, supportive shoes, smart ergonomics, and open communication with healthcare providers can make all the difference—your feet truly are the foundation of whole-body wellness.

  • Knee Pain Exercises to Avoid

    Knee Pain Exercises to Avoid

    From painful experience, I have found that these activities and exercises must be avoided with my knee pain:

    • Stair climbing
    • Squats
    • Jumping
    • Running
    • Lunges

    For those of us who played sports in excess and even played through the pain, later in life, we must face the reality of the responsibility of attending to overworked injuries. For example, I played many sports and in trying to look tough, I made any injury that occurred worse. Unfortunately, as I have heard, you cannot save your face and your butt at the same time! I certainly wish my twenty-something old self had heeded that warning.

    As a result, now in my early fifties, I am nursing the following injuries:

    • Torn meniscus in right knee
    • Torn meniscus in left knee
    • Baker’s cyst in left knee
    • Baker’s cyst in right knee
    • Impingement in left shoulder
    • Scar tissue buildup and limited range of motion in my right shoulder
    • Pelvic floor muscle loss and nerve pain
    • Sciatica on the lower left side of my back
    • Limited range of motion in neck
    • Bunyon on right foot
    • Tendonitis in left hip

    Recently, I have undergone physical therapy for my knees. The physical therapist said that the torn meniscuses couldn’t be repaired but that the goal was to build the muscles around the meniscus tears to take the brunt of the work off of those trouble spots.

    The therapists had me start with riding the stationary bike for eight minutes and then utilizing a knee exercise machine that delivers perfect, smart range of motion to solve straightening and bending of the knee. From there, I would do a series of knee and hip stretches inside the exercise cage to support balance and reduce falls.

    *Note: All content within this article is meant for informational purposes only and is in no way a replacement for professional medical or psychological advice or support. Seek immediate and appropriate care from a healthcare professional should you or a trusted loved one deem it necessary.

    Low impact workouts for bad knees

    Since completing my recent physical therapy round, I have now moved on to doing independent exercises at the gym with a low-impact workout because of my bad knees. Additionally, I limit my gym time to three days a week instead of overdoing it like I would have done in my younger years. I spent a few years not being able to do activities that I enjoy – I do not want to be benched again!

    Always talk with your doctor, orthopedic doctor, physical therapist, chiropractor, etc., before implementing any new workouts. These are the exercises that are good for me based on my healthcare team’s suggestions:

    • Stationary bike, ten minutes to warm up
    • Machine chest press (three sets, ten reps, fifteen pounds)
    • Machine row (three sets, ten reps, thirty pounds)
    • Machine shoulder press (three sets, ten reps, ten pounds)
    • Machine abdominal crunch (three sets, twenty reps, thirty pounds)
    • Low row (three sets, ten reps, thirty-five pounds)
    • Cable rope tricep pushdown (three sets, ten reps, twenty pounds)
    • Cable crossover (three sets, ten reps, twenty pounds)
    • Machine pec fly (three sets, ten reps, twenty-five pounds)
    • Machine tricep extension (three sets, ten reps, twenty-five pounds)
    • Machine bicep curl (three sets, ten reps, twenty-five pounds)
    • Machine seated leg curl (three sets, ten reps, thirty pounds)
    • Machine seated leg extension (three sets, ten reps, thirty pounds)
    • Machine hip abduction (three sets, ten reps, thirty pounds)
    • Machine lateral raise (three sets, ten reps, fifteen pounds)
    • Stationary bike, ten minutes to cool down
    • *Hydro massage for ten to twenty minutes as needed

    Once the weather breaks here in Southeast Michigan, I will add swimming in my lake to this exercise routine, as water workouts have very low impact and are successful.

    Upon returning home from the gym, I make a tall mug of caffeine-free green tea, soak in the bath with the jets on for fifteen minutes, pray and meditate, turn the jets off, add Epsom salt, and soak for another twenty minutes while listening to spiritual, self-improvement speakers.

    So far, this method of working out has been effective for me, and I have yet to injure myself as I am focusing on taking it easy, going with light weights, and making sure to immediately take care of my muscles with massage and bath soaks.

    However, the inflammation in my knees and shoulders isn’t just because of old injuries; I am also menopausal. So what’s a girl to do? Let’s see what the experts have to say.

    Does low estrogen cause joint pain in women?

    The role of estrogen is to protect joints and reduce inflammation. However, if estrogen levels drop to lower levels, inflammation might increase. Additionally, the risk of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis could also go up, and painful joints will be the result. And for someone like myself in menopause, my estrogen levels are dropping by the minute, it seems like!

    According to the National Library of Medicine, “Osteoarthritis (OA) affects all articular tissues and finally leads to joint failure. Although articular tissues have long been considered unresponsive to estrogens or their deficiency, there is now increasing evidence that estrogens influence the activity of joint tissues through complex molecular pathways that act at multiple levels. Indeed, we are only just beginning to understand the effects of estrogen deficiency on articular tissues during OA development and progression, as well as on the association between OA and osteoporosis. Estrogen replacement therapy and current selective estrogen receptor modulators have mixed effectiveness in preserving and/or restoring joint tissue in OA. Thus, a better understanding of how estrogen acts on joints and other tissues in OA will aid the development of specific and safe estrogen ligands as novel therapeutic agents targeting the OA joint as a whole organ,”.

    In the meantime, there are lifestyle adjustments and treatments that can alleviate some of the pain and inflammation I am experiencing. For starters, anti-inflammatory diets rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish such as salmon, and supplements can make a big difference. Additionally, specific vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin D and Calcium are crucial for bone health and can help counter some of the effects of estrogen deficiency.

    Exercise, although it may seem counterintuitive when in pain, has been highly beneficial. Low-impact activities like swimming or, for me, short walks and stretching keep my joints flexible and reduce stiffness without subjecting them to unnecessary stress. Strengthening the muscles around my joints also provides better support, minimizes pain, and prevents further damage.

    Knee pain exercises to avoid

    In conclusion, staying active with knee pain requires intention and care—avoid high-impact moves, stick with low-impact routines, and always listen to your body and your doctor.