Driving is an activity that many people think of in the same category as breathing. It’s essential, and it’s something that many of us do every day. It’s not surprising that many of us think that driving is an essential part of our lives; according to the Federal Highway Administration, Americans drive nearly 13,500 miles per year on average. 

Yet one area that can become painful from all the driving you do is your knees. A physical therapist can help you understand why you may have knee pain from driving. These medical specialists can also help you find treatment for your knee pain. 

5 reasons you may feel pain in your knee from driving

You might expect your knees to feel stiff after a long stretch of driving. Yet you may not expect to feel knee pain from driving. However, driving-related knee pain is very easy to develop. Here are a few reasons why drivers may develop knee pain: 

1. You have poor posture — Posture is something that many people think of in relation to their neck or back. But it can also be applied to your knees. For instance, many people allow their knees to splay outward while they’re driving. This position can increase the strain that driving puts on your knees and lead to pain. To combat this, you should try to keep your knees in line with your hips while driving. 

2. You are doing repetitive movements — The right knee bends and straightens a lot when you drive. It does so every time you press the gas pedal;it does so every time you move your leg over to the brake pedal. Those two movements alone can happen thousands of times during a long drive. If repeated often enough, these movements can trigger discomfort and pain in the knee. 

3. You are not taking breaks — The less you stop on a road trip the better, right? Not when it comes to your knees and other body parts. Our body is made to move around, so staying in one position, such as when sitting in the car, is hard on it. By not taking breaks from driving, you’re forcing your body to stay in one position for long periods. This decision could be the reason your knees hurt at the end of your trip. However, there is an easy fix. Plan regular breaks to get out of the car, move around and even stretch a little on long trips. Your body (and knees) will thank you!

4. You have a chronic knee condition — Drivers may still develop knee pain even if they have good posture and take regular breaks. One reason is because they may have a chronic knee issue. The most common such issue is knee osteoarthritis. This condition can increase your risk of knee pain from driving. 

5. You have previously injured your knee — A past knee injury can lead to pain in the future, including when you drive. For instance, scar tissue may have developed at the site of the old injury. This tissue can decrease flexibility or even pull the knee joint out of alignment. Both of these factors can make knee pain more likely for a driver. 

Continuum Wellness can help those with knee pain from driving

Do you regularly develop knee pain from driving? Our Continuum Wellness clinic is a place you can turn to for help with your pain. Knee pain sufferers can get a free screening here. That screening allows our physical therapists to pinpoint the root cause of your pain. Then, they can build you a customized treatment plan, which may include PT techniques like: 

• Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM). 
• Manual therapy.
• Cupping. 
• Therapeutic exercises. 
• Virtual physical therapy.

Contact our team today for more information on how we can help treat your knee pain or to schedule an initial appointment with us.