Introduction
Many people find themselves tossing and turning at night, plagued by the persistent ache in their knees. If you’ve ever wondered why your knees seem to protest more vigorously under the cover of darkness, you’re not alone. Patients in clinic often report their knee pain is worse on a night. In this blog, we delve into the potential reasons behind nighttime knee pain, exploring the common causes to shed light on this annoying nighttime visitor.
Common Causes:
- Arthritis: Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are prevalent contributors to knee pain. According to Arthritis Research UK, over 10 million people in the UK suffer from arthritis, with a significant portion experiencing discomfort during the night. Find out more in this blog – Learning about your Arthritic knee.
- Overuse and Strain: Daytime activities, particularly those involving repetitive knee movements, can contribute to nighttime pain. Engaging in sports, exercise, or strenuous work without proper rest may lead to overuse injuries. Can you pinpoint activities in your day that may be increasing your pain?
- Inflammation: Inflammatory conditions can intensify at night due to increased blood flow and inflammation response. Take steps to reduce the cause of the inflammation along with relative rest, medication and ice. Understanding the inflammatory aspect of these conditions is crucial to managing nighttime knee pain.
- Alignment and posture Issues: Poor alignment and posture can increase the stresses placed on your knees. Building strength around your hip and ensuring your foot is well-supported can be a great place to start. A biomechanical assessment will identify any alignment issues that may be increasing strain through the knee, you can then address any findings making for a happy knee. We complete a biomechanical assessment as part of my Arthritic Knee program.
- Minimal distractions: During the day there is generally always something to distract you from your painful knee. However, when you go to bed it’s just you, your thoughts and your painful knee.
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How to treat nighttime knee pain:
Ultimately the key is to identify the cause of the pain and then take steps to change these.
Lifestyle Adjustments:
- Modifying daily activities, think about what it is that is aggravating your knee and try and reduce it. Take a look at your step counter is your pain better on days when you have done more steps or less? – Be curious and use your findings to your advantage.
- Incorporating joint-friendly habits, such as daily low to moderate exercise, ‘little and often’ avoiding excessive rest or intense activity most knees are happier like this.
- Certain activities and movements put strain more strain on your knee so look at reducing these in the short term.
- Using a stick or crutch may be beneficial in reducing strain through your knee. For advice on this take a look at this blog – Would a stick or crutch help your arthritic knees?
- Maintaining a healthy weight can significantly reduce the impact of knee pain, both during the day and at night. For help with managing your weight have a look at this NHS website.
Physical Therapy and Exercise:
- Engaging in targeted exercises and physical therapy can strengthen the muscles around the knee, providing support and alleviating pain. Check out my Arthritic Knee Program – this complete program aimed at transforming your arthritic knee easily, reducing pain and improving function. Or find a Chartered Physiotherapist near you for 1 to 1 support and treatment.
Positions of ease in bed – Try these:
In my personal and professional experience when your knee is sore it tends to be happier if you avoid the extremes.
- Most sore knees will be more comfortable with some support underneath them creating a gentle bend and support, avoiding a fully straight position. However, this MUST be used sparingly because if you regularly sleep avoiding a straight knee you may lose the ability to fully straighten your knee which will have a very negative impact on how your knee functions, but for the odd night it will not be detrimental.
- Side-lying with a pillow between your knees to help maintain good alignment can also be a comfortable position. It’s often trial and error so have a look and see what works for you. For help getting a great night’s sleep take a look at this blog. Sleeping Well With Pain
Ice or heat:
- The use of heat and ice can be very beneficial in easing pain and encouraging relaxation. Unless you have an acute injury the heat is probably your best option.
Medication:
- Chat with your Dr or pharmacist regarding this, It is common for people to take more pain relief at night than during the day.
Consulting a Healthcare Professional:
- If you’re experiencing persistent knee pain, it’s essential to consult a healthcare professional especially if it is worse on a night. They can conduct thorough assessments, ruling things out and hopefully pinpointing the root cause, allowing more effective treatment.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you now understand the possible reasons behind nighttime knee pain from causes such as Arthritis to a knee that is not functioning as optimally as it could be. Simple steps such as looking at your daily activity, improving strength and even supporting your foot can all lead to improvements in your knee. If you have a painful knee then I would like to challenge you to try at least one of these before tonight. Take your first steps towards a peaceful, pain-free night. Sleep well.
Take care, Helen
Helen Manders BSc (Hons) MCSP HCPC
Chartered Physiotherapist Since 2001
