Protecting Your Knees While Getting "Buns Up and Kneeling"
If you suffer from knee osteoarthritis, certain positions like buns up and kneeling can aggravated pain and cause further joint damage over time. That's why it's so important to be mindful of knee-straining movements and make adaptations to protect your joints.
Read on to learn why common activities requiring knee flexion can worsen osteoarthritis inflammation and pain. We'll also cover tips to modify movements like buns up and kneeling to prevent additional harm to your knees.
How Knee Osteoarthritis Impacts Movement and Flexion
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people worldwide. It occurs when protective cartilage cushioning the joints gradually wears down from injury, aging, or years of repetitive use.
In the knees specifically, this progressive loss of cushioning tissue leads to inflammation, stiffness, swelling, and joint damage. It also makes moving the knees through their full range of flexion ability increasingly painful.
Simple motions like walking up stairs, squatting down, or kneeling require bending the knees to differing degrees. This compression can make osteoarthritis knee pain even worse temporarily. It can also hasten long-term cartilage degeneration.
Why "Buns Up" Flexion Strains Knees with Arthritis
Getting your "buns up" into certain sexual positions calls for extensive hip, knee and ankle flexion for angles conducive to penetration and movement.
For example, being on your hands and knees for doggy-style sex requires significant knee bending. Even lying on your back and bringing your legs upwards and backwards for missionary can overextend arthritic knee joints.
This type of motion causes bones to grind together forcefully through decreasing cartilage. The resulting swelling and inflammation than leads to worsening stiffness and osteoarthritis pain during and after sex.
Let's explore this concept more as well as smarter ways to get intimate without knee strain or discomfort when you have osteoarthritis.
How Can I Have Sex Without Pain If I Have Bad Knees?
You absolutely can still have an active, fulfilling sex life with knee arthritis through choosing positions wisely. The key is avoiding excessive knee extension, compression or weight bearing.
For example, lying on your back with a pillow comfortably under your knees helps decrease pressure and overextension. Gentle side-by-side cuddling lets you intertwine legs and bodies with minimal joint loading.
Getting creative with furniture and props can also take pressure off your knees during intimacy. Consider utilizing chairs, stools, pillows and bolsters to offload body weight in different positions.
Open communication with your partner is also key. Let them know which motions trigger knee osteoarthritis flare-ups so you can determine alternatives together. A caring partner will be receptive to trying different options to prevent causing you pain.
What Exercises Should I Avoid with Knee Arthritis?
Along with selecting pain-free sexual positions, it’s also crucial to avoid specific fitness moves that compress or overload arthritic knee joints.
For example, deep squats and lunges with heavy weights can worsen knee arthritis by repeatedly grinding weakened cartilage. Pivoting actions in sports like tennis creates shearing forces also damaging to knee joints.
High-impact exercises like running can contribute to eventual loss of knee cartilage and increase inflammation. And getting into plank pose or holding Downward Facing Dog in yoga hyperextends knees.
Let's go over better exercise options to strengthen muscles supporting your knees without joint strain.
What Are the Best Knee Exercises with Arthritis?
You can still exercise regularly to improve cardiovascular health if you modify activities minimizing arthritic knee damage.
For example, low-impact aerobic choices like walking, elliptical training, and swimming keep joints mobile with less pounding. Cycling offers a great way to build lower body endurance without weight bearing.
Also focus on strengthening thigh and gluteal muscles through knee-friendly moves. Try knee extensions, hamstring curls, side-lying leg lifts, and bridges with a ball squeeze. These help stabilize knees by reducing force through already compromised joints.
Yoga can also be beneficial by increasing flexibility, balance, and joint alignment - just skip hyperflexion poses impacting knees. Work with a trained instructor to provide safe, low-impact modifications tailored to your needs.
Everyday Tips to Prevent Knee Osteoarthritis Worsening
Along with adjusting exercise and intimacy habits, small daily adjustments can really help protect arthritic knees.
1. Maintain a Healthy Bodyweight
Excess weight puts more pressure on knee joints contributing to faster cartilage breakdown. Losing even a moderate amount improves mobility and reduces pain if you have osteoarthritis.
2. Wear Supportive Footwear
Choose flexible, cushioned shoes with sturdy arch support. Consider custom orthotics to improve shock absorption and evenly distribute forces through your knees when walking. Soft gel shoe inserts can further pad joints.
3. Use Assistive Devices
Take pressure off knees with canes, walkers, grabbers and long-handled shoe horns for stability and leverage getting up and down.
4. Adapt Seating and Sleeping Areas
Raise seats, toilets and beds to a comfortable height for easier, less painful sitting and standing. Add cushioned pads and pillows for extra knee support in chairs, cars, and during intimacy.
5. Learn Proper Movement Mechanics
Physical therapy can teach you how to walk, lift objects, get in and out of vehicles, and negotiate stairs and uneven terrain correctly. Making these daily tasks more knee-friendly really minimizes further damage long-term.
With some thoughtful adjustments, people with knee arthritis absolutely can stay active in safe, comfortable and fulfilling ways. Focus on low-impact activity, joint protection, weight management, and proper movement mechanics.
Implement these tips for preventing excess knee strain during fitness, sex and everyday tasks. You'll be on your way to living life to the fullest while keeping painful osteoarthritis flare-ups at bay.
FAQs
What sexual positions are worst for knee arthritis?
Positions requiring knee hyperflexion or compression like doggy style and bringing knees upwards in missionary can worsen osteoarthritis pain and inflammation. Choose options allowing straight or slightly bent knees instead.
How can I exercise safely if I have knee arthritis?
Avoid high-impact exercise, deep squats, lunges, and other moves overloading compromised cartilage. Choose low-impact options like walking, cycling, swimming, and yoga using modified knee alignment instead.
What everyday activities should I modify to protect my arthritic knees?
Use assistive devices, keep a healthy bodyweight, wear cushioned footwear, learn proper movement patterns, and adapt environments with raised sitting surfaces, pillow knee supports, handles, etc. to prevent excess strain.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
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