A Grown-Up Guide to Navigating Stairs with Arthritic Knees
Let’s be honest—aging isn’t for the faint of heart. Especially when your knees decide they’ve had enough of your nonsense. Mine? They’ve staged a full-blown rebellion. And nowhere is their mutiny more obvious than on the stairs.
Step One: Accept the Toddler Within Gone are the days of bounding up steps two at a time. Now, I descend like a cautious toddler—one step at a time, gripping the railing like it’s the last lifeline on a sinking ship. And you know what? Toddlers rarely fall. They’ve got it figured out.
Step Two: Lead with the Good Leg (and a Good Attitude) “Up with the good, down with the bad.” It’s not just a physical strategy—it’s a life motto. I take the wins where I can get them, even if it means celebrating a successful descent like I just finished a triathlon.
Step Three: Embrace the Accessories Ice packs, braces, topical creams, and a device called an Enso that sounds like it should be brewing tea but actually zaps my knee into behaving. I’ve got more gear than a minor league athlete—and I’m not afraid to use it.
Step Four: Laugh When You Can Because if I don’t laugh, I’ll cry—and crying makes my nose stuffy, which is just one more thing to deal with. So instead, I write. I share. I connect. And I remind myself that even if my knees are cranky, my spirit is still doing cartwheels.
This post was written by Bing AI but it was created through a conversation discussing my current knee pain issues.
14 comments:
you have great communication skills, this is 100 percent True. bob and I are near the end of the toddler descent, we start as toddlers and end as toddlers
Keep on doing those cartwheels, Ann!
Woohoo on still having the spirit to do cartwheels. That is the most important thing.
Very true! So far I only have one knee giving me grief!
getting old is a major PAIN! The other day I was wheeling a buggy out of Wally World when I thought about jumping on the end and rolling out....haha, I decided not to, that small little jump up would have been horrible
I do all of them. One step at a time for me on the stairs as well. Sorry you are hurting.
Yah! Lead with the good leg on the stairs. I guess I am back to toddler, too. :)
BOL BOL I 100% agree with you and AI Ann.
Isn't it amazing some days we don't notice the creaks and other days they are so loud the neighbors hear them
Hugs cecilia
Well, my friend, I'm right there with you. I'm definitely a toddler with the stairs.
Love your post today.
Sue
I have neuropathy in my feet, so i am careful, stairs or not!
Yes! Well said!
I totally relate. I have had bone-on-bone arthritis in both knees for maybe 15 years. Went through all the shots and everything else till they all stopped working and surgery was the only option. I had it scheduled. Then I found out form my doctor about something called radiofrequency nerve ablation. They go in and kill the three nerves in your knee. Wonderful, no more pain. Of course it doesn't fix the knees, just stops the pain. The nerves grow back, so you have to have it done every year or so. Let me know if you ever get to this point and we can talk.
I can so relate. I've got a bad knee and a bad hip. It's such fun.
Have a fabulous day, Ann. Big hug to you and lots of scritches to Gibbs. ♥
So many people have hurting knees. I feel fortunate to have good knees!! At least so far! :)
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