Living with Your Aching Knees – How a Knee Compression Sleeve Can Help
If you have knees that ache constantly or the aching comes and goes, you know just how frustrating and uncomfortable it can feel. Aching knees can make it harder to walk, go up and down stairs, workout and remain active, sit, stand, or stay in one position for too long. Overall, achy knees can affect your everyday quality of life and make you feel defeated.
Achy knees can have many different causes, can be mild or severe, and treatment is a little bit different for everyone. One treatment may work for one, while the same treatment may provide little to no relief for another person. This can make treating aching knees more complicated than a more obvious cause for severe knee pain.
But not to worry!
One option many people do not try for their aching knees is a knee compression sleeve. It is a simple tool that is often overlooked for its simplicity and unassuming appearance.
In this post, guest author, Dr. Brent Wells, D.C. will take a look at what causes achy knees, what the symptoms of achy knees are, and how a knee compression sleeve may just be the thing that solves all of your problems.
What Causes Aching Knees?
Aching knees can be caused by a wide variety of things. The knee is a complex joint and that means that a lot of things can happen to cause an achy knee. Most of the time, if your knees are aching and the pain isn’t so bad you can barely move around, sand, or sit, your achy knees may be from overuse. If you stand a lot during the day, go on a lot of walks or runs, or do other workouts or movements that require a lot of repetitive knee movement or high impact, you are likely to experience knee aching at some point.
The most common condition associated with overuse is called IT Band Syndrome. This is a ligament that runs from your hip to the outer part of your knee and is prone to injury from overuse. Over time, this band can become inflamed and sore. It can cause your knees to ache, in particular, the outside of your knees.
Patellar Tendinitis is another common overuse injury. When you overdo exercise, you can cause inflammation in the tendon that connects your shin to your knee. It can cause pain, soreness, and achiness and make movement challenging. The most common cause is from repetitive types of jumping or similar movements.
If your achy knees are not caused by an overuse injury and you are 50 years of age and older, you may have developed osteoarthritis. This form of arthritis is caused by wear and tear from over the years. You will notice that your knee joints feel very achy and they commonly become swollen when you are active, walking, and moving around. You may also notice your knees feel extra stiff, particularly in the morning hours and when getting out of bed.
At my chiropractic Wasilla clinic, I see many patients that complain that their knees are aching. Aching knees and knee pain are very common and with 95% of knee pain coming from arthritis it is imperative patients seek medical advice and use tools that will help them seek relief.
What are the Symptoms of Achy Knees?
Although we touched on a few symptoms of achy knees above, what exactly should you look out for if your knees begin to hurt? Below are some of the most common symptoms of achy knees.
- Swelling
- Stiffness
- Redness
- Warm to the touch
- Weakness
- Instability
- Popping or crunching in the knee(s)
- Cannot straighten knee fully
Depending on the cause and the severity of your pain, your symptoms may differ or change over time. If you have severe pain, swelling, or other extreme symptoms, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
How Do Knee Compression Sleeves Help Achy Knees?
Knee compression sleeves have been around for a long time, but they are often an overlooked aching knee treatment. Sometimes the simpler the solution that better it works! A compression sleeve may be overlooked due to its appearance or the idea that it is going to feel uncomfortable to wear.
While this may be the case for some knee compression sleeves, they are not all created equal. Firstly, you want the sleeve to be functional. You want a medical-grade compression between 20-30 millimeters of mercury. The bigger the number is the more compression and pressure you are going to feel around your knee.
You also want your knee compression sleeve to feel comfortable. There is nothing worse than a sleeve that feels too tight, too scratchy, or just downright uncomfortable. Silky smooth fabric feels soft and comfortable on your skin. There is no pinching or binding to be felt! You also want it to stay in place, the unique fabric of this compression sleeve makes the sleeve stay in place and it never slides down. You can also wash the sleeve in a regular washing machine. The fabric is also resistant to odor, bacteria, and can absorb sweat.
Studies have confirmed the benefits of knee compression sleeves for reducing aching and pain in the knee associated with injuries and arthritis. Compression sleeves work by providing more support to the area and keeping your joints more stable in an effort to prevent injuries from occurring. The pressure from the sleeve generates more blood flow, which can reduce pain and inflammation in the area that is causing the aching.
A knee sleeve, something different than a knee brace, is generally used to help prevent injuries or treat minor aching. A knee brace is a tool used for existing injuries with the effort of preventing further injuries and more damage to the knee.
In the end, aching knees can feel like a real pain and can cause a lot of frustration, but there are simple things you can use to help stop some of that aching and get back to your regular life. Knee pain and aches are not something you have to live with, so give a high-quality knee compression sleeve a try today and feel the results as soon as possible!
About Dr. Brent Wells, D.C.
Dr. Brent Wells, D.C. has been a chiropractor for over 20 years and has treated thousands of patients. He founded Better Health Chiropractic & Physical Rehab in Alaska in 1998 and is a member of the American Chiropractic Association and the American Academy of Spine Physicians. Dr. Wells is also the author of over 700 online health articles that have been featured on sites such as Dr. Axe and Lifehack. He continues his education to remain active and updated in all studies related to neurology, physical rehab, biomechanics, spine conditions, brain injury trauma, and more.
