My dad’s in his 70s but he has had knee pain for years. It turns out that roughly 30 percent of adults report knee pain. The problem with having knee pain, aside from the pain part of it, is that having knee pain can lead to mobility issues. That’s one reason it’s so important to take care of the issue rather than hope it goes away. Knee pain can be the result of an injury or medical condition including gout, arthritis and infection. It can occur because you are overweight, lack muscle flexibility or strength, or because you have certain structural abnormalities. The good news is that many kinds of minor knee pain respond to self-care. So how can you actively protect against it? Here’s an article from nextavenue with seven tips to pain proof your knees. According to the Mayo Clinic, you should see your doctor if you: can’t bear weight on your knee, have marked knee swelling, are unable to fully extend or flex your knee, can see an obvious deformity in your leg or knee, have a fever in addition to redness, pain and swelling in your knee or if your knee feels unstable or “gives out.”