Can Sitting Cross Legged Cause Knee Pain?

rediffGURU Dr Shakeeb Ahmed Khan helps you understand the source of your pain and suggests ways how you can heal and recover from it.

Do you experience unexplained pain in your shoulder, joints?

It could be a result of fatigue, or just poor posture.

rediffGURU Dr Shakeeb Ahmed Khan, a senior consultant physiotherapist with over 13 years of experience specialising in orthopaedic and paediatric physiotherapy, explains how to identify the source of your pain, and treat it effectively.

• You can post your health-related questions to rediffGURU Dr Shakeeb Ahmed Khan HERE.

D: I am a senior citizen aged 74 years.
I am having left shoulder pain in certain positions.
My X-ray shows cervical spondylitis.
As per my doctor, I am doing physiotherapy as suggested.
My pain is not acute. It is tolerable. Can you advise?

Dear Mr D, Thank you for your query.

I would suggest to continue your physiotherapy as per doctor advise.

Further to this, keep on doing strengthening exercises for the shoulder; this will help for increasing strength, range of motion and relief of pain.

You can also request doctor if some modalities can be used for relief of pain.

Rubi: Hi Experts, I'm trying to build the ability to sit cross-legged for at least two hours without changing posture during meditation.
However, I start feeling numbness in my legs (jhanjhanat) after just 45 minutes.
I also try to maintain a straight back, but I often feel pain on the left side of my lower back.
I would really appreciate your guidance on how to overcome these issues and gradually train my body to sit comfortably for longer durations.
Looking for suggestions on posture, exercises, or any tips that could help. Thanks in advance!

Dear Rubi Thank you for your query.

I am happy that you would like to meditate, which is actually a good thing. However, sitting cross-legged for two hours is not advisable for two reasons.

Sitting continuously for two hours without back support is one of the primary reasons for back pain.

The other reason is that the knee has only two movements -- bending (flexion) and straightening (extension) which occur in one plane.

Sitting cross-legged can affect the knee structure, and it is one of the leading causes of knee pain, increasing wear and tear, and arthritis, which is common in the Indian population.

For your longer sessions, I would suggest alternative supportive postures, such as lying supine or using a kneeling bench, which can reduce pressure on your back and knees while allowing for deep focus.

To build resilience and address your current back discomfort, a dedicated routine of back-strengthening extensions and gentle stretching for the spine and hips is highly beneficial.

Please listen to your body's signals and consider consulting a physiotherapist for personalised guidance. I wish you a quick recovery.

Manisha Dogra: I am 52. The bottom of my feet pain after standing for 1 to 1.5 hours and start shaking.
At times my hands also shake while working on the PCA.

Dear Ms Dogra, Thank you for your query.

There could be various reasons you could experience feet pain while standing.

I would strongly suggest you to visit a physiotherapist to get a proper assessment and evaluation.

Based on this the physiotherapist will prescribed exercise, assistive device and ergonomics changes. I wish you a quick recovery.

• You can post your health-related questions to rediffGURU Dr Shakeeb Ahmed Khan HERE.

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