Why do my knees ache severely when I walk down a steep hill?
1. Introduction Walking down a steep hill forces the quadriceps muscles to perform intense eccentric contractions to brake your body weight, which presses the kneecap forcefully against the underlying femur. This amplified compressive load, often reaching several times your body weight, causes mechanical friction and microtrauma within the patellofemoral joint, resulting in severe aching pain. … Read more