Knee Pain When Sitting? Causes and Treatment

Introduction

Ever felt tightness in your knees, specifically after sitting for a long time? This pain may also reach the point of being so painful that you cannot perform your daily activities. Keep reading this blog to understand the common causes of knee pain as well understand how to get knee pain relief.

Causes of Knee Pain When Sitting

These are the common causes of knee pain:

• Prolonged Sitting: Sitting in one position for long periods can lead to knee stiffness and discomfort. The knee feels tight and painful when you get up or move.
• Bad Sitting Positions: Poor posture, such as sitting with your legs crossed or knees bent at awkward angles, can misalign the knee joint, leading to uneven stress on the joint causing knee pain after sitting with legs bent
• Uncomfortable Furniture: Furniture that doesn’t support your body properly can increase knee pain. Chairs that are too high or too low force your knees into unnatural positions, resulting in stiff knees after sitting.

Underlying Medical Conditions of Knee Pain:

Different problems contribute to inflammation or degeneration of the knee joint. Some of these common medical conditions are:

• Osteoarthritis

It is a degenerative joint disease in which the cushioning cartilage between bones deteriorates over the years, causing friction between the bones.

• Rheumatoid Arthritis

This is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation in joints, including the knees. It causes pain, swelling, and reduces function as the disease progresses.

• Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

This can develop from overtraining or misalignment of the patella, which may occur due to rapid directional changes, such as when playing basketball or football. The pain is mostly located in front or around  the patella and is especially noticeable during activities involving joint flexion, such as sitting, squatting, or climbing stairs as the knee feels tight during movement .

Why Does Knee Pain Occur After Sitting with Legs Bent?

Excessive sitting with bent legs limits knee movement while applying unwanted pressure on the knee joints. In this position, the patella is forced against the femur bone, increasing pressure within the joint. This pressure can be very painful and uncomfortable, especially if there is previous damage or inflammation in the joint. Reduced blood flow to the area due to bent legs can also cause stiffness and discomfort.

• Pressure on the Knee Cap: Sitting with bent knees increases the angle between the kneecap and the thigh bone, resulting in higher pressure. If this is repeated frequently when you have worn out or inflamed cartilage, it is likely to cause pain.
• Poor Blood Circulation: Long hours of sitting in an improper position causes blood to pool in the lower extremities and the knee feels tight and painful when you finally change positions.
• Lactic Acid Accumulation: Muscle soreness and joint pain can happen because of the accumulation of lactic acid.

What is the Fastest Way to Relieve Knee Pain?

Most of the time, people who have knee pain try to find a way to get relief quickly so they can return to comfort and normal function. Here are some quick fixes and tips with some effective knee exercises for knee pain relief:

• Adjust Your Sitting Position: Make sure your feet rest flat on the floor and your knees form a 90-degree angle to allow for equal weight distribution and reduce pressure on the knees. Keep your feet aligned with your hips and knees.
• Foot Support: This will maintain proper body alignment and reduce stress on your knees.
• Take Frequent Breaks: Stand up and move around every 30 minutes to promote blood circulation and reduce stiffness.
• Knee exercises: Incorporate easy knee exercises into your daily routine to help the muscles around your knees remain flexible and tension-free.
  • Quadriceps Stretch: Stand on one foot, bend the other knee, and bring the heel up to the buttocks.
  • Hamstring Stretch: Sit down and reach forward toward your toes, feeling the stretch in the back of your leg.
• Use Ice or Heat: You can apply an ice pack to reduce inflammation or use a heating pad to relax muscles and improve circulation, providing instant relief.

Best Seating Position for Knee Pain

Here are some tips to help you maintain an optimal sitting position:

• Upright Sitting: Keep your back straight and your shoulders relaxed. Do not slouch on the desk.
• Chair Adjustment: Adjust your chair height so that your hips are slightly higher than your knees, promoting a more natural alignment.
• Foot Position: Place your feet flat on the floor, with your knees at a 90-degree angle.
• Correct Footwear: Wear supportive shoes or use a foot insole to maintain proper foot cushioning.
• Footrest: If your feet can't reach the floor, use a footrest to maintain proper posture.
• Avoid Crossing Your Legs: Crossing your legs puts extra pressure on your knees and can worsen pain. If you tend to cross your legs, try crossing them at the ankles instead to reduce knee strain.

Use of Supportive Products

Inclusion of a supporting device for your knee will actually help relieve pain and improve general knee health. A properly selected knee support provides warmth, compression, stability, and protection to the knee joint. Let's delve into the best knee cap for knee pain:

• Knee Cap: These are soft supports made of neoprene or knit fabric. They are designed to slide over your knee and provide gentle compression. These help increase blood flow, reduce swelling and offer a bit of extra stability when you're on the go. They are especially helpful in mild knee pain or for providing ongoing support during activities.
• Open Patella Knee Supports: This kind of knee cap has a cutout placed over the knee cap, which in turn provides more flexibility and releases the pressure from the knee cap itself. When you want support without interference in the natural movement of your knee cap, this is a great option.
• Closed Patella Supports: They are designed to cover the entire knee, there is an all-over compression and support provided on the whole joint. Therefore, they are ideal for those individuals who require a much more rigid support and have pain over the entire knee.
• Patellar Supports: These are knee straps that provide fastened compression around the patella, commonly known as the kneecap. They are most useful when a patient has problems like patellar tendonitis or runner's knee.
• Hinged Braces: Braces containing a metal or plastic hinge on their sides prevent the knee from bending too far to the side. They are most suitable for individuals needing considerable support, and in particular, post-surgery conditions such as ligament injury.

Conclusion

The condition of sitting knee pain can be disabling, but it can be managed with the correct support. Focus on taking proactive actions towards your knees health for long-term relief.

FAQs

How can I prevent knee pain after sitting for a long time?

Keep good posture, take breaks often and use supportive foot insoles or ergonomically designed chairs. Also do knee exercises like stretches.

What is the best sitting position for knee pain?

Keep your feet flat on the floor and knees at 90 degrees. You can also use a footstool.

How does weight affect knee pain?

Knee injuries will increase when knees are under more pressure due to excessive weight gain that leads to additional joint pressure. Manage your body weight properly through balanced diet and regular physical exercise.

Is heat or ice better for knee pain relief?

Heat or ice may both provide knee pain relief depending upon circumstances including stage of injury, etc. For example icing primarily helps lower inflammation levels in cases of acute pain numbing while heating tends to relax muscles improving blood circulation and reducing stiffness.