Knee Injuries explained?

Knee is the largest joint in the body and depends entirely on the ligaments and tendons for stability. It acts as a shock absorber, lever and hinge and enables us to stand up, walk, kick or climb. It is subjected to great forces routinely and so it is susceptible to a lot of injuries.

Recognising the symptoms of Knee Injuries

1. Experience discomfort and pain while walking or running.
2. Inability to straighten the leg.
3. Tenderness, swelling, pain and/or discomfort in the knee.
4. Cracking sound when you bend your knee and moving knee-joint becomes difficult.

Causes of Knee injuries

The causes of different tupes of knee injuries are-

1. Arthritis – Degeneration of cartilage at the joint and inflammation.
2. Torn Cartilage – When you twist the joint while putting weight on it, the cartilage is injured.
3. Tendonitis – Overuse of the tendons above or below the kneecap can become inflamed.
4. Runners Knee – Overuse of the shock absorbing cartilage, under the kneecap can cause degeneration.
5. Sprain – The thighbone is connected to the skin bone by 4 strong ligaments that are not very flexible. If they are overstretched, one or more of the ligaments can be sprained.

Knee Injuries healed naturally

1. Swelling and pain can be reduced, by taking painkillers.
2. Take rest, apply ice directly to the injured area, compress it and then elevate.

How to prevent Knee Injuries?

1. If you have knee problems avoid hills and stairs as it exerts pressure.
2. Attain flexibility by stretching your legs before and after exercise.
3. Foot abnormalities put great stress on the foot get them corrected.
4. Lengthening and intensifying your workouts will cause friction in the joint and increase risk of overuse injury.
5. Strengthen leg muscles by walking upstairs or hills.
6. Cycle in low gears and set the seat to a proper height to minimize knee stress.
7. Don’t wear worn out and shoes that don’t fit well.