No human being has ever escaped the persistent knee pain that comes with age. While injuries contribute to pain, the years of brunt work finally cause the knee joint( knees) to ache and squeak once we reach old age.

Knee pain is a common experience for most people at some point, but the best approach is to delay it as much as possible and preserve knee health for as long as one can.

Knee Pain: The Most Common Sign of Aging – Is There a Way Out?

Knee pain becomes a fact of life in old age. The years of repetitive work eventually wear out the cartilage that guards our joints and enables smooth movement. When the protective cartilage wears off, every move inevitably becomes painful, stiffness sets in and reduces the overall mobility of the knee joint.

“Previous injuries and age-related changes in the body may further accelerate this process to the point that people in their 50s may begin to experience severe knee pain”, says the best bones doctor in Mumbai, Dr Chirag Patel.

So, how do people protect their knees in a way that helps them lead relatively pain-free lives in their elder years? We asked an orthopaedic surgeon in Mumbai, Dr Chirag Patel, and here are his tips.

Tips to Protect Your Knees & Lead a Pain-free Life after 50:

1. Maintaining a healthy weight: Losing weight is among the most underrated knee care tips for older adults. Every pound of excess weight puts around 4 to 5 pounds of extra stress on the knees. So, conversely, every kilogram of extra weight you lose frees your knees from 4 to 6 pounds of extra stress.

So the best and most effective way to improve your knee longevity is to maintain a healthy weight and focus on cutting your weight to healthy levels, and your knees will thank you.

2. Exercise regularly: Exercise helps with weight loss and improves knee health by pushing nutrient-rich blood to the knee region. It enhances the flexibility of the joint elements, increases their strength, and keeps them in tip-top shape to withstand minor injuries. Exercise also conditions the knees and improves their longevity and mileage. So focus on appropriate exercise that have low-impact on the joints.
3. Eat a balanced diet: Foods rich in calcium and vitamin D are essential for bone health. Good sources of these two nutrients include leafy greens, dairy (not for everyone), fortified vegetables, fatty fish, and eggs. In addition to these foods, people must focus on whole grains for complex carbohydrates, healthy fats from nuts and avocados for joint health, and fruits and vegetables for minerals and vitamins. A balanced diet for a person in their 50s will include leafy green vegetables, protein sources like fish, calcium-rich foods, whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables.
4. Wear supportive shoes: “As an orthopaedic surgeon, I often treat patients with knee problems due to repeated injuries. In almost all cases, lack of proper shoe gear is the common reason” says knee specialist in Mumbai Dr Chirag Patel.

Older adults may suffer a high risk of injury without the appropriate gear or assistive equipment, further exacerbating their declining knee health. So always ensure proper walking gear and assistive equipment (if needed) during physical exercises.

5. Listen to your body: In addition to the above, the most common reason for knee pain is failure to listen to the body. Older adults silently tolerate the pain, assuming it will sort itself out, but in most cases, it won’t. Further pain may worsen with any other injury, leading to different problems. Given how the body is slowly experiencing wear and tear of the joints, it is always advisable to consult a qualified orthopaedic surgeon at the first sign of knee pain or problem.

If you are in Mumbai and are looking for a knee specialist in Mumbai, an orthopaedic surgeon, and knee pain specialist, Dr. Chirag Patel, can help you provide a proper routine that can improve your knee health and help you lead a pain-free life.