How To Handle Stairs When You Have Arthritic Knees | Summit Orthopedics (2024)

FAQs

How To Handle Stairs When You Have Arthritic Knees | Summit Orthopedics? ›

Put your entire foot on the step of the stairs

Use the cane on your side opposite the handrail. When going up, put your stronger leg on the next step first, followed by the cane and then your weaker leg. Going down, lead with the cane, followed by your weaker leg and then your stronger leg.

Bracing or Taping: Using knee braces or supportive taping techniques can provide stability and reduce pain during activities like stair climbing.

How to Make Walking Down the Stairs Not Hurt Your Knees. Rest: Stop or reduce any activity that's causing your knee pain. Ice: If you've injured your knee, apply ice or a cold pack to the area for 10 to 20 minutes, three times a day.

Climbing stairs adds stress to the knee, aggravating the pain. A torn meniscus may cause discomfort and swelling and hinder fluid stair climbing. Treatment options include rest, physical therapy, and potential surgery to remove the torn meniscus and relieve knee pain during stair climbing.

And when knee arthritis or a torn knee ligament strikes, climbing stairs, walking, and even standing can be painful. Strengthening the knee is one way to prevent knee trouble and deal with a knee condition you already have. One exercise that's simple to do is stair climbing.

Butt Back, Knees Wide

Try to keep your butt back behind your heels and feet slightly wider than your hips. This keeps the knees in a healthy position, preventing them from buckling when your feet hit the pads. The trick is to train your body to adopt this form unconsciously, because falls are frequently unexpected.

Summary. Arthritis and chondromalacia patella commonly cause knee pain that strikes when you walk up stairs. Knee pain can also be caused by a ligament injury or a condition called patellofemoral pain syndrome. A healthcare provider diagnoses these conditions through imaging techniques, like X-rays and MRIs.

What knee injury hurts going down stairs? ›

Runners Knee, also known as Anterior Knee Pain or Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, is the most common cause of knee pain going down stairs. What is this?

There are many types of arthritis, but knee buckling is a common symptom of both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease. While rheumatoid arthritis usually affects both knees, you may only have osteoarthritis in one knee.

Going up stairs can be uncomfortable or even painful, however, going down puts much more pressure on the knees.

demonstrated that patients took twice as long to climb stairs one year following TKR surgery compared to the control group, and 30% of these patients could climb the stairs step-by-step⁶⁾. Even after two years, 60% of patients still required handrails when climbing stairs⁷⁾.

So, while taking the stairs is undoubtedly a great exercise for your overall health, it does put a lot of stress on the knees—especially when going down. So, although walking up and down stairs can be beneficial as a strengthening exercise, if it causes knee pain, it may be time to consult with your physician.

Your hips and knees should be at 90-degree angles. Height: Adjust the height of your chair if necessary so your feet are flat on the floor. If you can't lower your seat, use a footrest. Your hips should be slightly higher than your knees.