Knee Pain? Try This for Relief!

Osteoarthritis occurs when cartilage surrounding the joints breaks down, which leads to pain, stiffness, and swelling.

It’s especially common in the knees.

Since it’s considered a “wear and tear” condition, you might think that the less wear, the better.

But new research has shown that might not be the case after all.

Researchers evaluated 1,000 individuals over 50 years old who had osteoarthritis of the knee.

Four years later, those who walked for exercise had a reduced risk of new, regular bouts of stiffness in their knees.

They also had less structural damage to their knees (this was shown based on radiographs of the knee).

At the end of the four-year period, 37 percent of those who did not walk for exercise had developed new, frequent knee pain.

Only 26 percent of the frequent walkers experienced the same increase in knee pain.

Clearly, this doesn’t indicate that walking will cure your osteoarthritis. But if it can help reduce the pain—or delay the progression of the condition—I call that a win.

These benefits make sense, since consistent movement increases muscle mass and strengthens the ligaments around your joints.

Doctors throw drugs and surgery options at patients, all of which come with great risks and little rewards.

But studies like this one show that simple, free, safe methods could be the best ways to manage the condition.

If you’ve been moving less due to pain, consider giving walking a try. Just be sure to start slow, with a short walk.

You can gradually increase your distance over time.

P.S. There IS something you can do to help slow the progression of this condition by up to 50 percent. Click here to read about it.