Juan Reque
Jul 30, 2017 · 3 min read

THE BEST WAY TO IMPROVE YOUR CHRONIC KNEE PAIN

PreventOK and ElliptiGO bike

Chronic knee pain is a long-term pain, swelling, or sensitivity in one or both knees. In most of the cases the pain is manageable while walking and gets worse during sport practice or even going up or down stairs. The pain isn’t always attributable to one incident; it just starts one day, and if it stays for more than two or three weeks it rarely goes away without treatment.

There are different conditions or diseases that can cause knee pain. The most common are tendinitis (inflammation of the patellar tendon), arthritis/chondromalacia (degeneration of the cartilage) or meniscus tears. All these injuries don’t have an easy and/or effective treatment. There are some medical options, none of which are really successful: PRP (platelet rich plasma injections), stem cells, corticoid injections or surgeries. On the physical therapy side, there are a bunch of other options, but similar to the medical options, they are not highly successful: Ultrasound therapy, laser, ice, electrical stimulation, shockwave therapy, strengthening.

So what is the best option to get rid of a chronic knee pain?

Before describing my considered “best option,” it is important to understand what all these injuries have in common. Tendinitis, mild meniscus tears and cartilage problems all present inflammation and limitation of movement. The cause of the pain can be different in all these cases, but inflammation and stiffness is always there. If you use logic you can assume that getting rid of the inflammation and improving the range of motion can solve the problem. And this is exactly what a person with chronic knee pain has got to do: move the knee in a pain-free and impact-free manner! This will improve the general health of the knee and will strengthen all the muscles around the knee joint.

Over the years I have tried on myself and treated my patients with different therapies and techniques. I have also recommended different exercises and routines. Following the patients’ feedback and their pain evolution, I have discovered that the combination of preventive execises with low impact movements have the best success rate. Being more specific, patients who followed the PreventOK programan in combination with different form of easy movements, like riding an ElliptiGO bike regularly, always improve their condition to some extent.

There are two ways to explain why PreventOK and riding the ElliptiGO improve chronic knee pain.

First, the exercises on the PreventOK program will balance your muscles, improve your joint mobility and make your whole body work on a better and more functional way.

Second, the low-impact movement will increase the synovial liquid and lubricate the knee. This has been explained by McCutchen in his weeping theory. There is a link between joint movement and increase of joint fluids.

Finally, if we succeed in producing a healthier knee, the movement and strength will automatically improve.

Then what are the steps to getting a healthier knee?

Once you suspect you have chronic knee pain, visit a physician to rule out major problems or injuries.
Stop doing any exercise or sport that makes you feel pain. There is nothing worse than practicing a sport and feeling pain at the same time. This will only damage the knee more and create more pain.
Start doing low-impact movements like riding an ElliptiGO bike on a daily basis. Three to 5 times a week for 1 hour is a good way to start.
At the same time, start your PreventOK program. In this unique online program you will receive personalized exercise videos, with training specifically tailored to you and the demands of your sport. You will be able to see these exercises on your smart phone or tablet and do them at home at your own pace. You will have the opportunity to interact with on a regular basis, so that you can discuss and evaluate your progress and adjust your individual training program to fully meet your needs.
If you do everything right, there is no reason why your condition shouldn’t get better. It is important to focus on the improvements, not on your general state. If every week you feel a little better or you are able to do more activities without feeling pain, then you are on the right track.

Get more information at preventok.com or send an email to vamos@preventok.com

Juan Reque

Written by

Physical therapist, massage therapist, trainer, entrepreneur and big believer in prevention rather than treatment. One exercises can heal an injury!!!