Knee injuries are the bane of many an active person’s life. Whether running around a tennis court, sustaining potential impacts on a football field or simply walking substantial distances, a bad knee can make the experience difficult and painful.
Indeed, those suffering knee trouble may look wistfully on a newly-published list of the most popular walks in the UK, published by consumer group Which? This includes lots of scenic countryside walks in hilly and mountainous parts of the country like the Lake District, Peak District, Northumberland and Snowdonia, but it also includes some rather nearer Maidenhead, including two in London.
This means whether you plan to head north to climb Scafell Pike or over to Snowdon – the highest mountains in England and Wales respectively – or to enjoy Coombe Hill in the Chilterns or the urban charms of the Regents Canal in London, seeing a physiotherapist in Maidenhead about your knee problem could add greatly to your enjoyment.
Writing for walking website Time Outdoors, physio Amanda Robertson listed a number of steps that can be taken to reduce knee pain when out walking. Cartilage damage is the hardest to fix and can need surgery, while medial ligament damage is a long-term injury that can be helped with the right physiotherapy support and rehab.
However, some other issues are more manageable. For instance, anterior knee pain can be helped by the right footwear and arch support, as well as knee-strengthening exercises that a physio can teach.
A physio can also advise you on timings, so that you don’t bow to the temptation to take on too ambitious a challenge before you are ready.
The more your knee problems can be resolved or managed, the more you will be able to do when out walking, be it taking on a mountain or simply enjoying a trek by a riverside or on a canal towpath.
