Posted August 5, 2013
If you find that it's getting more and more difficult (not to mention painful) to get up from a sitting position you're not alone. Knee and back problems are a serious issue facing many Americans, and despite the advances in medicine a cure remains elusive. Since many knee and back disorders can result from injury they affect a wide array of individuals of all ages and from all walks of life.
The National Institutes of Health estimates that back problems now cost Americans over $50 billion dollars a year, and are now the number one cause of job-related disability. Loss of productivity aside, the pain and hindered mobility of chronic back injury can take a tremendous toll on being able to complete daily tasks and to enjoy your time with family, friends, and hobbies. Chronic back pain is defined by duration; symptoms lasting longer than 3 months. Unfortunately once symptoms are chronic they often continue to progress.
Knee problems are various and are often easier to specifically diagnose than back/spine disorders. While outright injuries are often the result of sports, a fall, or other movement, the most common knee disorder is osteoarthritis. The knee is a deceptively simple looking joint, but though it only bends in one direction it has a number of ligaments, tendons and other connective tissues, all of which can be damaged.
An unfortunate hallmark of knee and back problems are the ease with which the injuries can be aggravated. Simply avoiding re-injury is typically one of the primary goals emphasized by physicians to promote healing and avoid further reduction in mobility. This may mean avoiding certain activities altogether or it may mean making some accomodations to avoid putting less stress on the injured area(s) during day to day life. Chronic knee and back disorders often make it much more difficult to get up without pain and/or risk of re-injury. Eliminating the physical stress from getting up can improve your ongoing recovery by lowering the strain on the damaged area(s).
