Need Help with Back and Knee Pain

[mikelbarnz]

It won't help the knee pain, but consider investing in a new matress/bed. I went through a period in my mid 20's of excruciating back pain, but switching over to an extremely firm futon pad instead of the cheap soft mattress I owned pretty much cleared it up.

A couple of other recommendations from a line cook lifer:

Shoes/insoles-very important. I've never found a pair of kitchen clogs I like, so I now work exclusively in Montrail hiking boots. They are a bit on the heavy side, but after breaking them in, I can be on my feet for 10+ hours a day in comfort. Which, at 40, ain't bad.

Work smarter-if possible, rearrange your station/mise so that you aren't having to do as much repetitive bending/squatting during service. Could help.

Massage therapy-Assuming you are in a decently sized metropolitan area, there may be a massage school offering discount massages by students. Having a strong skilled set of hands give your back muscles a workout can do wonders.

Good luck.