The 6 Silent Ways to Ruin Your Knees

Did you know that many of the routine activities we engage in every day can ruin your knees? Knee pain is one of the most common ailments in the world. In fact, it’s estimated that there are over 300 million people in the world suffer from knee pain! If you are one of these people, then you know how frustrating and debilitating it can be. While knee pain is often caused by an injury or simply overuse, there are also some silent ways that you can ruin your knees without even realizing it. 

How to Ruin Your Knees Without Realizing It

One of the most common causes of knee pain is overuse. Overuse can happen when you do the same movements or exercises repeatedly, or when you increase the intensity of your workouts too quickly.

The best way to avoid knee pain is to make sure that you’re not overusing them. If you’re experiencing knee pain, make sure that it isn’t caused by something else like a fracture or an injury. If your pain persists, see a doctor and have your knees examined.

Here is a list of the everyday activities that can ruin your knees over time

Wearing the Wrong Shoes

Wearing the wrong shoes can lead to knee problems. It is important to know that there are many different types of shoes available, so it is essential to find the right one for you.

Too Much Running

Too much running can lead to problems in your knees (you may have heard of runners’ knees). It is a common problem that affects many runners, but it’s not the only one. For example, patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is another injury that occurs when the kneecap doesn’t track properly over the femur bone.

Too Much Sitting

The sedentary lifestyle is a new phenomenon. A few decades ago, people were more active than they are now. They walked around and did many physical tasks. Now, most people work in offices where they sit down for most of the day.

Bending Knees for Extended Periods

The most common knee injury is called iliotibial band syndrome. This is when the iliotibial band, which runs along the outside of your thigh, rubs over your knee joint. This can happen if you have tight hamstrings or weak quads. It is also more common in runners and cyclists because they put their knees in a bent position for long periods of time.

The best way to prevent this from happening is to do exercises that strengthen your quads and stretch your hamstrings.

Wrong Exercises

Injuries can be a serious setback to anyone’s fitness routine. The good news is that a lot of these injuries are preventable. Here are some common mistakes people make when it comes to their knee health and how you can avoid them.

• Injuries such as turf toe, iliotibial band syndrome, and patellofemoral pain syndrome are all common among runners and athletes. These injuries are often caused by poor running form or inadequate stretching before exercise.
• If you have ever experienced any knee pain, it is important to see your doctor for an evaluation before continuing with the exercise program that caused the injury in the first place.

When it comes to exercises for your knees, there is no “one size fits all” solution.

6 Important Steps That Can Save Your Knees

Don’t Ignore Knee Pain

Never ignore persistent knee pain. If discomfort limits your typical activities, such as walking, get it checked out. It’s important to always listen to your body’s signals. If symptoms persist, see a doctor.

Watch Your Weight

Every pound of body weight exerts five pounds of knee force, thus even 10 extra pounds can strain the knees.

Being overweight raises your risk of knee osteoarthritis, a common and frequently painful form of arthritis. Extra weight worsens arthritis. According to the CDC, two out of three obese persons eventually develop knee osteoarthritis.

This can make cause a catch-22: Exercise is key to weight loss, but one can’t exercise effectively with bad knees.

Listen to Your Doctor

Rest and rehabilitation after a knee injury are key to avoiding discomfort or reinjury. Depending on the damage and therapy, recovery could take weeks or months.

“During recovery, you need someone to tell you what hurts and what may injure you,” explains experts.  He recommends working with an orthopedic surgeon, sports medicine physician, physical therapist, or athletic trainer to gradually strengthen the knees.

Neuromuscular Training

Male and female athletes can be “rewired” to reduce knee injury risks. Neuromuscular training improves agility, leg strength, and jump-landing techniques for knee stability.

A 2010 evaluation of seven neuromuscular training studies found these strategies reduce knee injury risk by almost half.

Overtraining Syndrome

An increase in exercise intensity or duration might induce repetitive strain injuries. Knee problems include tendonitis and kneecap pain.

Overtraining syndrome is a physiological and psychological condition in which athletes surpass their abilities to perform and recover from physical activity, causing injury or diminished performance.

Stretch before and after exercising. Follow rigorous training days with easy ones to recover.

Ignoring Knee Muscles.

Mayo Clinic says weak muscles and lack of flexibility cause knee problems. Strong muscles around the kneecap, hip, and pelvis keep the knee stable and balanced by absorbing joint tension.

Conclusion

We all know that our knees are the most important joints in our body and they need to be taken care of. But with work, school, and life-related stress, it’s easy to forget about ourselves and neglect the upkeep of our knees. Because of this, many people struggle with knee pain and swelling.

The solutions for knee pain are different for everyone, depending on the cause. Some people find relief from mild knee pain by performing deep breathing exercises or iliotibial band decompression and icing their knees. Others require a more rigorous approach. For these individuals, deep tissue massage is a great choice. There are many ways to go about deep tissue massage, but the most holistic way is by doing it yourself with a foam roller.

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