7 Surprising Things That Can Make Knee Osteoarthritis Pain Worse

It may seem counterintuitive to exercise if you have joint pain, but the Arthritis Foundation advises people to be active. “The knee joint loves motion,” says Brian Halpern, MD, a sports medicine physician with the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City and author of The Knee Crisis Handbook. The challenge is to find the best types of activities for you. Dr. Halpern recommends bicycling, swimming, and elliptical trainers, as well as strengthening exercises that help muscles support the knee joint.

Although everyone with osteoarthritis is different, Halpern says that exercises that tend to aggravate knee osteoarthritis are deep squats, lunges, and any movement that pounds on the joint. Additionally, some people with osteoarthritis are simply too active, says Wayne Johnson, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Comanche County Memorial Hospital in Lawton, Oklahoma. For example, runners might need to cut back on running, while people who do other active things — like gardening, for example — should spread out their activities instead of trying to do it all in one day. Talk to your doctor about what types of exercise are safe for you, given the severity of your osteoarthritis and the amount of pain you experience.

The more you weigh, the more stress is placed on the knee joint, which can trigger an increase in pain, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). What’s more, a study found that when overweight and obese adults lost weight over a two-year period, they significantly slowed down their rate of knee cartilage degeneration.

People with knee osteoarthritis often know that healthy lifestyle habits like exercise and weight control are recommended, but they aren’t doing them, Dr. Garver says. His research team found that meeting with others who have osteoarthritis and sharing similar challenges can help motivate people to change their habits and add an exercise routine into their life.

People who eat more fruit, as well as those who are active and generally in good health, tend to have lower levels of osteoarthritis pain, according to the results of a study that surveyed 197 adults. Plus, eating healthier and being active can help reduce weight, which can also help reduce stress on the knee joint. “In general, eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats, and avoid processed foods if you need to lose weight,” says Dr. Johnson.

Depression, sleep problems, and osteoarthritis pain appear to be linked, according to a study published in Arthritis Care & Research that assessed sleep, pain, and depression symptoms in 288 adults over the course of a year. “The anxiety, stress, and worry that can go along with someone who’s depressed may minimize their ability to cope with osteoarthritis,” Johnson says. If you think you may be depressed, seek treatment immediately.

Vitamin D is crucial for bone health, as well as helping regulate the immune system. A study involving 769 adults with knee or hip pain revealed that a moderate level of vitamin D deficiency is correlated with increased pain levels. However, other studies suggest that taking vitamin D supplements may not be the answer to this issue: An article published in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine concluded that the effectiveness of vitamin D supplements for osteoarthritis was uncertain. It might be better to rely on other ways to get vitamin D besides taking supplements, such as eating foods specifically fortified with vitamin D like certain cereals, soy products, milk, and cheese; consuming fish; and even getting a bit of sunshine, which helps your body absorb vitamin D. Your doctor can test your vitamin D levels and make an appropriate recommendation.