A bad hip, knee, or ankle can make climbing up and down stairs difficult and at times unbearable. The weight bearing, changes in range of motion and strength required to coordinate the shifts in balance are demanding on the joints and muscles, and an injury can greatly affect the ability to perform this everyday task.

If climbing stairs is a problem, try this: go up leading with the good foot, and down leading with the bad foot. By doing a “step to step” gait pattern (as opposed to step over step), the amount of weight carried by the injured leg can be reduced, thereby reducing pain.