Many of my patients complain of pain in their knees when they stand up from a sitting position. It’s a COMMON COMPLAINT! It’s often one of the earliest signs of arthritis, and it’s certainly a reminder that we’re getting old! When I was a young woman, I could go from lotus position to a sprint, with no balking from my knees. Now, just to get up to go to the bathroom, after sitting through a rerun of Walking Dead, is a stark reminder of my age.
When you sit for a while, your knee might start to shift a little as you relax into that position and the different relationship with gravity. Mind you, it’s not coming out of place. It’s just trying to get comfortable. The surfaces of your knee might be seeking a position of lowest mechanical resistance. It’s a different position than when you were standing. Additionally, your aged knees would like nothing better than for you to get in the fetal position, and stay there. Remember from my Caveman post…if you’re older than twenty-five, you’ve way outlived your natural life expectancy. After that, it’s by grace of medicine, laws and seat belts. Tremendous pressure is placed on your knee when you go from sitting to standing, and when you do this against your worn out articular cartilages, your knee is going to talk.
Patients sometimes think there’s a cure for that specific symptom. There’s not. But you can make it better. Just bend and straighten your knees a couple of times before you stand up. Remind your knees that you’re still alive and kicking. Then, simply stand up. You will notice a difference right away. It will eventually become your new habit, and your knees will thank you for it.