My Achy Breaky Knees
You (k)need your knees! Knees are a very important, yet they are a very high risk area of your body. Many professional athletes suffer from injured knees, however everyone at some point or time has probably experienced some pain in this area.
Your knee is a synovial or diarthrosis joint. This means it provides free movement in the joint. However, this joint also contains ligaments that keep the joint stable. These ligaments are called the MCL, ACL, PCL, and LCL. The knee also has "padding" on it called the meniscus. Since the knee is such a complex joint, there are many injuries that can be sustained in it.
Your feet and the way you walk ( or gait) has a large impact on your knees. Try this! Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Now, turn your ankles so the outside of your foot is touching the floor. What happens to your knees? Now try the opposite, and put your weight on the inside of your feet. Your knees change position depending on where you distribute your weight while you stand and walk. If you are experiencing continuous knee pain, its probably a good idea to get insoles in your shoes. The best I have found so far are the Dr. Scholls insoles. Go to your local store and they usually have a machine that will analyze where you put most of your weight, and it will give you an insole to match it. These insoles will help align your feet so you are walking and standing on the correct parts of your feet.
If you have experienced a knee injury the best thing you can do is rest it! Don't try to walk it off! Always RICE! This acronym means rest, ice, compression, and elevate. Compression braces are great for knees, because they will lower the impact your knees take while walking or exercising. Lastly, if you have any concerns about injuries always talk to your doctor! Knee injuries can become serious if not addressed correctly! Now, here are some great maintenance options for your knees!
Tip 1: Low impact exercising:
Low impact exercising is great for people with aches and pains in their knees! The best exercise for this is swimming ( in my opinion). This not only has very little impact on your knees, but the water can actually soothe any inflammation that has occurred previously. Its like floating in a giant ice pack full of rainbows and tears of angels! ( If you can't tell I really recommend swimming!)
Tip 2: Massage!
Massage therapy can help reduce swelling and can also prevent muscles and ligaments from becoming sprained or strained. Massage stretches and broadens soft tissue. This helps prevent injuries that may be experienced from day to day movement or intense activity.
Tip 3: Stretch and warm up:
Before exercise, always give your legs a good stretch and warm up, that way your muscles and joints are ready to move. More often than not, if you don't stretch, your muscles are " cold" and inflexible. It's like being woken up at 3 in the morning and told to run a mile. not too many people would be thrilled about that. This is how your knees feel without a good warm up.
Great information
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