Knee is the largest and most complicated joint in the body. The complexity of the design of the knee joint and the fact that the knee supports nearly the whole weight of the body, it is the joint most vulnerable both to acute injury and the development of osteoarthritis.
Knee pain resulting from some knee problems, such as those resulting from an accident, can't be foreseen or prevented. However, a person can prevent many knee problems by following these suggestions:
- Maintain a healthy weight to reduce stress on your knees: Staying slim reduces the forces placed on the knee during both athletics and everyday walking. According to some medical research, it also reduce osteoarthritis. Keeping your weight down also reduce the number of ligament and tendon injuries for similar reasons.
- Before exercising or participating in sports, warm up by walking or riding a stationary bicycle, and then do stretches. Stretching the muscles in the front of the thigh (quadriceps) and back of the thigh (hamstrings) reduces tension on the tendons and relieves pressure on the knee during activity.
- Strengthen the leg muscles by doing specific exercises (for example, by walking up stairs or hills, or by riding a stationary bicycle). A supervised workout with weights is another way to strengthen the leg muscles that support the knee.
- Range-of-motion exercises help maintain normal joint movement and relieve stiffness. This type of exercise helps maintain or increase flexibility.
- Strengthening exercises help keep or increase muscle strength. Strong muscles help support and protect joints affected by knee problems.
- Aerobic or endurance exercises improve function of the heart and circulation and help control weight. Weight control can be important to people who have knee problems because extra weight puts pressure on knee joints.
- Avoid sudden changes in the intensity of exercise. Increase the force or duration of activity gradually.
- Wear shoes that both fit properly and are in good condition to help maintain balance and leg alignment when walking or running. Knee problems can be caused by flat feet or over-pronated feet (feet that roll inward). People can often reduce some of these problems by wearing special shoe inserts (orthotics).
The knee is an amazing joint that can handle a lot, but there is a limit. After you pass the limit your knees can take then you will be battling knee pain for a long time. Eventually most nagging knee pains will need surgery, and that costs money and typically has a slow recovery. Take care of your knees. Whether you are experiencing knee pain now or you are planning ahead to prevent knee pain, follow the steps and take care of your knees. They are one of the most important parts of your body.
