Is it less harmful to the knees to walk downhill? Doctors are slapped in the face by 2 studies: you are more likely to fall and fracture
Is walking backwards down a hill or stairs really less harmful to the knees? Dr. Li Yanyu, director of Renyi Boai Rehabilitation Clinic, clarified in the community that in fact, there is no significant correlation between walking backwards and reducing the stress on the knee according to previous literature; and walking backwards may also increase the risk of falls and fractures. Risk, if there is no discomfort in the knees, there is no need to walk backwards to protect the joints.
Is it less harmful to the knees to “walk backwards” when going down a mountain? Medical warning: May increase risk of fractures and falls
Dr. Li Yanyu pointed out that an elderly patient in the clinic last week was diagnosed with knee degeneration and bursitis, and a large amount of water accumulated in the joint. After discussion, it was decided to use a single-needle ultrasound-guided suction injection. The patient said that he had heard from his neighbors that he had to walk backwards when going down the stairs so that his knees would not hurt. After he tried it, the pain was indeed relieved. I would like to ask Dr. Li Yanyu whether we should maintain the habit of walking backwards to help speed up recovery?
Dr. Li Yanyu explained with two past documents: A Japanese study in 2010 pointed out that when walking backwards down stairs, the movement and angle of the knee joint, as well as the stress on the joint, are reduced, and the body’s center of gravity will be controlled by the hip joint. A 2008 Canadian study stated that when walking backwards down stairs, the center of gravity of the body will swing larger, the work of the plantar flexors will decrease, and the work of the knee extensors will increase, which will reduce the force on the knees during the stance period.
Dr. Li Yanyu said that by walking backwards down the stairs or down the mountain, you can increase the work of the hip joint in a short period of time and temporarily reduce the burden on the knees to relieve knee discomfort. Overall, there are 3 suggestions for walking backwards:
If you are unfortunately injured while climbing stairs or mountains (or you have knee degeneration and acute inflammation), and your knees feel abnormal discomfort when going down the mountain, you can temporarily go down the stairs or the mountain backwards to allow the hip joint to compensate for a short period of time.
If there is no discomfort in the knee, there is no need to deliberately walk backwards down the stairs or down the mountain, but it will increase the risk of falls and fractures. There is currently no evidence to prove that walking backwards down the stairs can prevent or improve knee degeneration.
Be sure to pay attention to safety when going down a mountain or stairs backwards. Hold on to the handrails tightly and try to look back at the road. During the process, relax your knees and let your core and pelvis compensate for your body’s center of gravity.
The reason for knee degeneration is too often going down stairs? Do joints get damaged faster if you don’t exercise?
Many people walk backwards down the stairs because they are afraid that going down the stairs in a normal posture will cause pressure on the knees and cause knee degeneration faster. Dr. Li Yanyu said that there are indeed certain patients in the clinic who believe that exercising, walking quickly or going down stairs will cause excessive wear and tear on the knees, and even attribute the result of degenerative knee arthritis to “going down stairs too often.”
“In fact, if the elderly lack exercise, their knees may deteriorate faster!” Dr. Li Yanyu explained that degenerative arthritis may be caused by many factors, including genes, age, obesity, squatting work, old injuries, etc. As for sports, unless you have been engaged in high-impact sports (such as football, wrestling) for a long time and have reached the level of professional players, in fact, medium-to-high-intensity sports such as mountain climbing, jogging, and swimming cannot be proven to directly cause degenerative arthritis.
Dr. Li Yanyu explained that muscle strength decline or even muscle atrophy caused by inactivity, or even obesity or chronic diseases, will cause more degeneration risks. Based on current medical evidence, moderate mountain climbing, jogging, brisk walking, stair climbing, and cycling are beneficial to knee health; climbing or descending stairs can cause knee damage, but there is no direct evidence to prove the correlation.
How to prevent degenerative knee arthritis from getting worse? Only 6 methods have gained consensus on British and American guidelines
As for patients with degenerative knee arthritis, how should they take care of their knees to avoid worsening of the condition? According to the treatment recommendations for degenerative arthritis of the knee put forward by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), the American Orthopedic Guidelines (AAOS), and the British Treatment Guidelines (NICE Guidance), there is consensus that effective treatments are exercise, weight loss, and anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs. (topical/oral), crutches and lifestyle modifications, and intra-articular steroid injections.
Dr. Li Yanyu pointed out that there is a gap in the content of the three major guidelines because the content of the guidelines is a conclusion reached by experts from the country (or the society) based on medical evidence and joint consultation. In fact, it may be affected by national conditions, medical insurance systems, Affected by economic conditions and other factors. The effective measures to improve knee arthritis are still exercise, weight loss, life adjustment, health education, crutches, anti-inflammatory steroids and other methods. As for other treatments, you should thoroughly discuss them with your doctor before making further judgment based on your own situation.
Reference: Sports Med Arthrosc Rehabil Ther Technol. 2010 Jun 11;2:14.Gait Posture. 2008 May;27(4):564-71.
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