And all that constant twisting and turning, compounded by the stress of weight gain and inactivity, makes the knee the most common site for osteoarthritis 18 percent of over-45s have arthritic knees. Many people are offered an arthroscopy, where debris is ‘washed out’ of the joint and any damage repaired. It’s thought to be the most common orthopedic procedure performed worldwide today.
An estimated 60,000 knee arthroscopies are performed on the NHS in the UK each year. In some cases, more invasive surgical procedures are deemed necessary. These include osteotomy (where a thin wedge of bone is inserted into the shin to realign the leg and ease pressure on the worn part of the joint), microfracture (holes are drilled into the bone ends to stimulate the growth of new cartilage), and partial or full knee replacement.
But a study last month found that when it comes to arthroscopy, for middle-aged and older people with persistent knee pain the risks of surgery and blood clots outweighed any benefit in most cases (see below).
So where does this leave you if your knees hurt?
If you visit your GP, you’ll probably be prescribed painkillers and sent home to ‘manage’, or you may be referred to a physiotherapist to learn exercises to keep your knees as strong as possible until invasive surgery, such as knee replacement, becomes inevitable. Physiotherapist Sammy Margo calls this ‘postponement therapy’.
KNEE FLEXIBILITY:
A healthy knee should be flexible enough to straighten fully and bend back to an angle of at least 135 degrees. To help improve flexibility, stretch your hamstring (which runs along the back of your thigh) by sitting on the floor with one leg outstretched – or you can do this sitting on a bed with one leg outstretched on the bed and the other leg dangling over the side.
Lean forwards towards your outstretched foot until you feel a gentle stretch in the back of your thigh, holding for 30 seconds if you can. Repeat on the other leg. Aim to reach your body closer to your foot as you become more flexible. Do this once a day for five days a week, working up to 30 seconds if you can’t do this, to begin with
