Can Walking Actually Help Relieve Knee Arthritis Symptoms?

Is it safe to walk with knee arthritis? Am I going to make the arthritis worse the more I walk? What if I have pain when I walk? I’m going to answer these questions with data from a recent clinical study.

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► ABOUT ME

Jeffrey Peng MD is a nonoperative orthopedist and sports medicine specialist. He created a YouTube channel and blog to translate cutting edge medical knowledge and clinical research to benefit all those looking to live an active and healthy lifestyle. He focuses on maximizing non-surgical treatments for sports injuries and orthopedic conditions. He specializes in using orthobiologics and ultrasound guided minimally invasive techniques to treat osteoarthritis, tendinopathies, and musculoskeletal disorders.

Dr. Peng is board certified in sports medicine and family medicine. He completed residency with the Stanford family medicine residency program and completed his sports medicine training with the Stanford primary care sports medicine fellowship in San Jose. He is an active faculty member for both programs and is excited about training the next generation of physicians.

Dr. Peng’s sports medicine clinic is located in Campbell, California.

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[shirin]

Dr. how about bicycle training exercises?

[Pawtooler]

I guess no one ever asked you... Why does it hurt so much when I walk?... Or... Have you ever heard the saying?.. Walk a mile in my shoes!

[tredd]

Dr. Peng, I am a new subscriber today. I'm so grateful to have come across your channel. I'll be watching other videos you've previously posted. Thank you so much for all the information!!!

[wendyedwards]

Hello Dr. Peng, can treadmills be used as a walking regiment if started slowly? Thank you!

[humakhan]

Hello Dr . I am 28 years old and my doctor told me i have type 4 arthritis..so please prescribe me what should i do

[foolishbeat]

Hi Dr. Peng. How about Gout? Is is advisable to walk with gout when your flare up is over?

[JFrenchRennier]

Thank You. I will now treat my knee & deny all attempts at replacing the knee.
I am dealing with random swelling in both the knee & right above the knee. The swelling occurs at odd times after the initial time. Twice after sitting & standing up & once in bed sleeping.
Anticipate a meniscus tear caused by decades of athletics & oilfield abuse plus I'm now age 70.
Followed your video advice & ordered the correct supplements & will eventually get an MRI to only eliminate any other potential issue such as patella or a problem associated with a 1983 motorcycle accident which shattered that femur right above the knee.

[Trust]

Walking seems only safe if you dont have severe arthiritis, it depends on what stage your own

[rollingrock]

I was told I had near bone on bone in my knee 7 months ago. Been running for 25 years, now 64 years old. (tore my meniscus in 2017 when I fell on ice)I had PRP and Euflexxa injections 6 months ago; I don’t think either had a positive effect on the knee stiffness I was experiencing. I run maybe 20 to 25 miles a week, do mobility and strength, cycle and swim. I do not feel the running has made my condition worse at all. I never run with pain. I ran my 45th half marathon last week and the worst symptom I notice post run is, as always, stiffness. This stiffness is so much worse when I consume starchy carbohydrates which are part of my energy fueling for long runs . I am trying to keep diet to lean animal protein, lots of leafy greens, eggs. Sugar is the absolute worst, in any form…get rid of it!

Thank you for your good advice Dr. Peng!

[altodomino]

Thanks Dr Peng, now maybe I can walk without worrying so much

[Analyst]

I'm new to your channel and immediately subscribed. I've just begin to watch your videos. I've have been getting acupuncture treatments and drinking turmeric ginger supplements, Vit D etc. I definitely will start to walk more like daily. Thank you, Dr Peng.

[Mr.Sir...]

My doc told me in my 20’s I had arthritis, specifically in my knees. I just thought he was an idiot, I was under 25 after all.

Now (in my 40’s) I rotate jobs where I work. On one job I sit at a desk all day. My knees start hurting bad, I mean can’t sleep at night bad, terrible all day pain.

Then after close to year in that position I got sent back my old spot and had to walk 6-12, 000 steeps a day depending on different conditions, I also walk up10-25 floors of stairs as well. My knee pain nearly disappeared. Another year later I dropped from ~300lbs to ~225. My knee pain is completely gone at this point, with rare exceptions like long drives and such.

Keep in mind this was not even walking for exercise, just intermittent point A to point B walking.

I was told last week I will soon be going back to the chair, I don’t know what I’ll be doing going forward but I will have to start intentionally walking (on my own time 😞)

That’s how I came across this video. If your knees hurt, try it for a month. It didn’t take me but a couple weeks to feel massive improvement.

I never would’ve believed the difference.

[eugenemary]

Dr peng your videos are very informative.. thank you so much for clarifying our doubts of whether we can go for walking while having knee pain..

[raashkakulmiye]

Hi hello doctor am from south African am have knee broplem my broplem is i have sometimes pain and i can't ran like before and it's difficult for to go up stair

[kantaprasadsinha]

I get answer, I have doubt if I walk, even with discomfort.
Thank you for ur inspiring discourse.KPSnha from India.

[Goldies]

In my mid 60's, heavy, medial knee arthritis with some under the knee cap also. I often hear about walking 10K steps, yet this is not one-size-fits-all. I often get to around 3500 steps and the knee pain flares up. If I push through the pain, it just makes the recovery worse. I have to stop. Oddly enough, my other knee was bone-on-bone but responded to hyaluronic acid injection and physical therapy. Tried all that with this arthritic knee and it doesn't respond to anything, even cortisone for more than a week. I am not looking forward to a knee replacement.

[mohamedsaeed]

In your opinion, among all types of stem cells fat, bone marrow and umblical, , which one do you think effective the most ?
Can you grade them plz
Thanks

[SMARVEN]

Can you play sport if you have no pain? Like soccer etc, 34 year old active soccer player, MRI indicated full thickness tear of articulate cartilage damage, not sure if that means I have OA?

[taramundo]

what about combined patellofemoral arthritis and plica syndrome?

[mtcnew]

How about exercise bike? I found it gives me less pain than walking.