How to Fly With a Painful Knee

By Dr. Bill Stillwell
When you have a painful knee - whether it's from an arthritis flare-up or a sports injury - you should use a cane for support when you walk. And when you sit, it's best to keep the knee straight. This is a position of rest. It allows the kneecap to "float" and decreases pressure within the joint.

That's easy to manage at home and in the office. But what if you have to fly? How do you keep your knee straight on a crowded plane?

The trick is to make sure you get the right seat.

If possible, sit on the aisle on the side opposite your painful knee. That will allow you to fully extend your leg into the aisle. Even better, get a bulkhead seat. In coach or on one-class flights, that's where you have maximum legroom. And if you rest your foot on the bulkhead, you can not only keep your knee straight but also elevate it, which is ideal.

If you're on any airline but Southwest, you will have an assigned seat. So get a note from your doctor requesting the bulkhead. You can also request it online, on the basis of disability.

If you're on Southwest, which has a group boarding policy with open seating, ask an attendant for a blue pre-boarding pass. (You don't even need a doctor's note.) This will allow you to board early, before anyone but those in wheelchairs, increasing your chances to nab the bulkhead.

What if you get stuck in a seat that's not on the aisle and not in the bulkhead? Push your foot under the seat in front of you. Then, when you can, recline your seat back. This will make it possible for you to approximate the straight-leg position.

Another thing that will help is to tense your quadriceps for six seconds several times during the flight. This strengthens the knee, disperses fluids within the joint, and moves blood through the leg. (As a bonus, it prevents deep venous blood clots too.)

With these few tips, you can soar... without the "sore."

[Ed. Note: Dr. Bill is William Thomas Stillwell, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Orthopaedic Surgery at SUNY, Stony Brook, NY (1987-2003). He is CEO of Dr. Bill's Clinic Inc., and author of How to Eliminate Knee Pain - Once & for All!]
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This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2211, 11-28-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.