Why Do Knees Hurt Going Downhill?

Hiking on an incline, particularly a descent, strains your knees more. According to studies from Harvard Medical School, hiking downhill can demand your knees to support up to eight times your body weight! Your quadriceps must contract eccentrically while you walk downhill; this is a contraction that takes place when the muscle lengthens. This requires tremendous strength and self-control!

Excessive stretching

Many people think that stretching is always beneficial for their body and that being more flexible will reduce their risk of injury. Nevertheless, overstretching is a real issue. A muscle that is overextended may force tendons and ligaments past their ideal length. Your muscles may feel thinner and more pliable as a result of this, and they may become loose. Make sure you only stretch as far as you can without experiencing any severe aches in order to prevent overstretching. Additionally, it's a good idea to stretch after a little warm-up workout. Additionally, maintaining the pliability and hydration of your muscles will help you avoid overstretching. Knee pain can be reduced by walking downhill with your body positioned correctly. Discomfort can be reduced by walking in little zigzags and letting your kneecap float over the ground as opposed to striking it. You may better regulate your weight and avoid putting undue strain on your knees by incorporating strength training into your workout routine.

Leaning too far back

While many people lean back slightly to prevent falls when trekking downhill, this further strains the knees. Additionally, it may force the quadriceps to break more forcefully, leading to patellar tendinitis. This is the illness that produces patellar pain, or discomfort behind the kneecap. It may be brought on by overuse, an ankle-hip misalignment, or a weak thigh muscle. Increasing the number of steps you take downhill or spending a lot of time kneeling can make it worse. For this reason, it's critical to maintain your strength by strengthening the main knee-moving muscles. This will lessen your chance of injury and improve your ability to withstand the rigors of hiking downhill. For your particular needs, a physical therapist can create a program to strengthen the appropriate muscles. Exercises that contract as they extend, such as the biceps curl, can fall under this category. This helps strengthen the quadriceps so that they can withstand stresses applied downward during each stride.

Leaning too far forward

The quadriceps, the muscles in front of your thighs, must contract eccentrically while you walk downhill. This implies that the muscles lengthen as the knee descends. Repeating this maneuver repeatedly may result in soreness beneath the kneecap. Try taking shorter steps when climbing downhill to avoid this soreness. As they will disperse some of the weight and force away from your knees, hiking poles can also be helpful. Simply avoiding pathways with lengthy or large downhill stretches is another strategy to lessen the pain associated with trekking downhill. Your knees and other leg muscles will be under less strain as a result, which could make your hike less taxing overall. Investing in supportive shoes that fit properly will also help to relieve knee strain. If pain does emerge, taking ibuprofen or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines may help manage it. See your physician if the discomfort lasts more than 24 hours or prevents you from trekking.

Taking too many steps

When going downhill, even the most experienced hikers may get knee pain. This is because when you walk, your knees bear almost all of your body weight. If you have weak or unbalanced leg muscles, your knees may overcompensate for this and become overloaded. Walking downhill exerts a lot of strain on the knee joint because it forces your quadriceps muscles to contract eccentrically or shorten while walking. Patellar tendonitis, the searing pain beneath your kneecap, may result from your quadriceps' inability to manage this movement. The iliotibial band syndrome, which affects the tissue extending from your hip to your knee, is another frequent cause of knee discomfort. Hiking too much or having a past injury that recurs periodically may be the cause of this. Try cutting your steps short and walking in little zigzags as opposed to straight downhills to avoid this. Your knee joints will experience less strain as a result.