What Causes Sitting Knee Pain?

What Causes Sitting Knee Pain?

What Causes Sitting Knee Pain?

Knee pain and sitting are frequently linked to:

• sat for extended lengths of time

• transferring from a sitting to a standing position

• Knee pain that does not go away when sat

This knee pain could be caused by:

the amount of time you spend sitting, the position you're in, the furniture you're sitting on, and a health condition that causes knee pain

Continue reading to find out why sitting can cause knee pain, as well as how to manage and prevent this type of knee pain.

Sitting over an extended amount of time

Knee pain may occur if you are idle for an extended period of time. Sitting for an extended period of time can cause your muscles and tendons to stiffen, causing pain.

Many people find themselves sitting for an extended period of time at:

Work events such as going to the movies or viewing a show at home while watching TV or using a computer

What is a long period of sitting?

According to Harvard Medical School, sitting for more than 6 to 8 hours a day may be harmful to your health.

They recommend avoiding prolonged sitting, but if you must sit for an extended amount of time, move around and stretch every 30 to 60 minutes.

Knee pain as a result of sitting

Sitting in an incorrect or awkward position, such as with your legs crossed or bent beneath you, can place pressure on your kneecaps and cause discomfort.

If you know you'll be sitting for an extended period of time, read about and adopt ergonomic positions that won't put undue strain on your knees.

Root causes of knee pain during sitting

When you sit, the pain in your knees could be due to an underlying condition, such as arthritis or patellofemoral pain (PFP).

Arthritis

According to Harvard Medical School, if you haven't moved your knees in a long and start to feel stiffness and pain, you may have osteoarthritis. When you rise up from a seated position, osteoarthritis may cause knee pain.

Osteoarthritis is a chronic joint inflammation that mainly affects adults over the age of 50, but it can also affect younger people. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), arthritis affects around 23% of American adults.

Treatment for knee osteoarthritis may include:

• Occupational and physical therapy

• acetaminophen (Tylenol)

• Ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (Advil, Motrin, Aleve)

• joint replacement with cortisone injections

Patellofemoral pain (PFP)

According to a 2016 study, almost half of persons with PFP had difficulty sitting for long periods of time with their knees bent. People who have PFP, also known as runner's knee, frequently experience knee pain when squatting and walking up and down stairs.

PFP has been linked to:

• Overuse of the knee joint

• Muscle imbalance in the knees and hips

• damage to the kneecap

PFP treatment may include:

Pain medicine, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) surgery rehabilitation exercises supporting braces or tape icing after exercise

Knee pain and furniture

Knee pain might be influenced by the ergonomic design of the chair you're sitting in.

For example, if you sit at your desk for lengthy periods of time, your chair should be properly constructed and positioned in relation to the other furniture you use, such as your desk.

If your workspace is not properly positioned in terms of distance and height, you may be holding yourself in an awkward position, which can lead to knee pain over time.

Knee pain at a workstation is frequently exacerbated by a chair that is excessively low or positioned in such a way that your knees are bent for an extended period of time.

Best practices for workplace ergonomics

If you work at a desk or counter, you can take the following steps to relieve knee and other joint pain, according to the Mayo Clinic:

• Choose an ergonomic chair that supports your spinal curves properly.

• Set the height of your chair so that your thighs are parallel to the floor while your feet are flat on the floor.

• Consider a footrest if you can't properly adjust your chair height or if the height of your desk causes you to lift your chair over the level at which you can rest your feet flat on the floor.

• Adjust the armrests of the chair so that your arms may rest comfortably on them while your shoulders are relaxed.

• Your desk should have enough space for your knees, thighs, and feet.

• Put the monitor directly in front of you if you work at a computer, with the top of the screen at eye level (or slightly below). When you're sitting up straight in your chair, it should be approximately an arm's length away.

• Your keyboard and monitor should be placed exactly in front of each other.

Takeaway

If you get knee pain while sitting, it could be due to a variety of factors, including:

Sitting with your knees bent for an extended period of time bad furniture ergonomics arthritis patellofemoral pain

If you must sit for an extended amount of time (more than 6 to 8 hours per day), consider getting up every 30 to 60 minutes to stretch and walk.

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Sources:

Arthritis. (2019).

cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/arthritis.htm

Collins NJ, et al. (2016). Pain during prolonged sitting is a common problem in persons with patellofemoral pain.

jospt.org/doi/full/10.2519/jospt.2016.6470