Five Ways To Avoid A Knee Injury This Sports Season

FIVE WAYS TO AVOID A KNEE INJURY THIS SPORTS SEASON

Now that the fall sports season has kicked off, millions are practicing, playing and competing across the country. But, with contact sports comes contact injuries and many are feeling the impact of the games played all over their bodies. From football to basketball, soccer to wrestling, one of the most common areas of injury in athletes are the knees.

Because knees bear the majority of weight and are the primary place in which power is generated when sprinting, jumping and pushing, they are a constant source of nagging injuries and are subject to wear and tear. A knee injury can not only take someone out of commission for weeks, but these injuries can also lead to further problems later in life — especially arthritis.

At University Pain Medical Center, we relieve pain and make recovery from injury easier. The best way to heal from an injury, however, is to prevent one altogether.

Here are five ways to prevent knee injuries

• Warm Up- Coaches and personal trainers everywhere extol the virtues of warming up for good reason. A proper warm up makes ligaments, joints and muscles more limber, allowing them to flex and bend, reducing the likelihood of a tear or other injury.
• Avoid Severe Changes in Your Regimen– Knees, in particular, do not take well to sudden and severe changes in impact or weight lifted, stabilizers and ligaments need gradual increases to properly compensate.
• Wear fitting shoes and purchase insoles if necessary– How your foot hits the ground can be a big determinant on how much impact or wear your knees receive. Uncomfortable, flat shoes with little protection may be acceptable for walking around smooth flat areas, but can quickly become a liability on less friendly terrain.
• Swim– Swimming is one of the best cardio activities for people of all ages, it’s an even more viable exercise when you consider that it’s a very low-impact exercise. Because feet don’t directly contact any hard surfaces during the exercise but are forced to work harder underwater, swimming builds lean muscle with little risk of damage.
• Maintain Your Weight– While medical science has made clear connections between weight and health, those who put on a great deal of weight in a short amount of time are more likely to suffer from knee injuries, so maintaining a given physique is important to preventing harm.

To learn more about University Pain Medicine Center and all the treatment options we offer, please browse our site.