What does “wear and tear” mean?
When we mention “wear and tear” it typically references normal stress we put on joints such as our knees from just living a relatively normal life. The average person exercises 2-3 times per week with moderate aerobic and resistance exercise. They also likely sit or stand more than 5-6 hours/day. Being under the force of gravity all day everyday creates stress on our joints which along with the normal processes of aging create “wear and tear”. If you have been especially hard on your joints, wear and tear often contributes to arthritis.
Will I know this is happening to me? What will it feel like?
Most of the time, we don’t realize that this process is happening. A part of aging is that our tissues do not heal as quickly or retain water as well which keeps your tissues at their optimal durability. I would consider this process a part of “wear and tear”, and it is completely normal. Wear and tear can also include small injuries to the meniscus or the cartilage on our bones. Most of the time, we may feel some soreness or at times clicking or popping. However, this does not mean you have a serious injury to those tissues.
See a physician or physical therapist if you are having more serious signs such as:
- Severe pain
- Persistent swelling
- Locking and catching of the knee
- Instability.
What can I do about it?
While being active can contribute to wear and tear, even sitting or standing can be unhealthy for your joints. The reason for this is that our cartilage between the bones of our knee does not have much blood supply to bring the nutrients it needs to repair itself. BUT, there is fluid in our joints created by special tissues surrounding the joint which does have these nutrients. When we move our bodies such as:
- Calisthenics
- Dancing
- Walking
- Running
This movement of the joint PLUS the force of gravity bearing down on us will push nutrients into the cartilage from the fluid. This in turn, helps keep our joints healthy. So it is a bit of a double edged sword. Being active can put us at risk of injury, it is just a part of the unpredictability of life, but being active also is key to keeping our joints healthy.
Can physical therapy help?
If you are having soreness/mild knee pain, creaking, popping, or locking of the knees that is limiting your activities a physical therapy evaluation can help you to identify if there is a more serious injury and what muscle imbalances that can contribute to abnormal knee movement. In the end, this will minimize wear and tear. If you catch it early, you can also minimize your risk for arthritis later on down the line.
By Leigh Taylor, DPT
