Preventing Knee Injuries

Try these simple tips to avoid knee injuries:

1.     Warm up & stretch before exercise to reduce tension and pressure on your knees.

2.     Use a foam roller to stretch out your IT Band, quads, hamstrings and calves. Tightness around the joint itself can cause misalignment of the body which can lead to dysfunction, compensation and ultimately pain.

3.     Use proper form when squatting or lunging:

a.     Squats: Stand with feet shoulder width apart, weight in your heels, knees over heels (not toes), sit back into an imaginary chair behind you, keep knees pointing forward (not inward or outward), tighten abs…sit down into that chair and use your glutes and quads to stand back up again.

b.     Lunges: Take a big step forward so that your front knee is lined up over your heel, abs are tight, back knee is directly under or slightly behind your hips, come down as far as you can without any pain or discomfort. Make sure to not lean forward or allow the front knee to go over your toes. This can cause added stress to your knees.

4.     Increase joint stability by increasing your leg strength. When the muscles that surround the knee are strong, the risk of knee injury decreases.

5.     Increase your exercise intensity and duration gradually. Know your body's limits and avoid doing too much too soon.

6.     Maintain a healthy weight. Extra pounds place stress on the knee joints and can contribute to degeneration and arthritis.

7.     Check your shoes. Measure your shoes value by function rather than cost or aesthetics. It is worth the extra time and expense to find the right fit to allow for proper leg alignment. It is recommended that you replace your shoes every six months.

8.     If you ride a bicycle, make sure your seat is high enough to not stress your knees. If your hips drop with the pedal stroke you know your seat is too high otherwise you should consider raising it up.

Extra Tips

1.     Don't leave injuries untreated. Recognize signs and symptoms of an injury and get the appropriate treatment. If you are experiencing pain – the bad kind – please take care of it. If you need a recommendation, see Dr. Zarzana (Bellflower/Atherton).

2.     Remember RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation are important for the first 24 to 48 hours after a minor knee injury.