The knee is a joint that is prone to injury. Between the ages of 25 to 75, the prevalence of pain or injury to the knee is about 50%. Here are six tips that will help avoid knee injury, or cope with knee pain.
Remain active. The knee is designed to carry weight, but not without the help of all of the muscles n the legs and feet. Keeping these muscles strong can avoid putting excessive weight on the knee joint. Weight bearing exercise and activity go a long way toward avoiding knee injury. Exercise strengthens the tissue inside the knee joint and aids in making the sinovial fluid that lubricates the knee and nourishes the cartilage.
Don’t Overdo at First. If you have not exercised before, start slowly. Starting with strenuous exercise can lead to injuries, and often people become frustrated by injury or slow progress, and stop the activity before it becomes helpful. Ideally your exercise should start easily, slowly getting more strenuous, but always allowing your body tissue to rest between sessions
A Simple Solution. Walking is one of the best exercises you can do, and requires only a pair of supportive, comfortable shoes, and a fairly flat path. You can use a stadium track, a city street, or a park path. Walking is an easy way to increase the strength of your joints, lungs and heart, and few other forms of exercise result in overall health with less injury.
Try Walking in Water. Walking in the water of a swimming pool is and excellent way to exercise the muscles and joints of the feet and legs, without burdening the knee. This is a particularly good exercise for people who suffer from osteoarthritis. And the deeper the water level, the less pressure there is on the knee. For example, walking in chest-high water lessens the stress on the knee by about 75%. Riding a bicycle also is good for the knees and hips. Cycling and walking in water are very beneficial to the knee without the impact from walking or running on land.
When the Knee is Swollen and Painful: If you are experiencing pain in your knee the treatment includes 4 components: Rest, cold compresses, a supportive but not tight elastic bandage, and elevating the leg. Physiotherapy can also help treat the pain and strengthen the knee. The physiotherapist can also design an exercise regimen to strengthen the muscles that support and stabilize the joint, and provide guidance for preventing future injuries.
Do the homework. The physiotherapist will provide a program of exercises to be done at home—but there will be progress only if you actually do the exercises!
From the Staff of the Department of Sports Medicine, Hadassah Optimal.