Derek L. Hill, D.O.

Fellowship-Trained Orthopedic Surgeon and Specialist

Preventing Knee Injuries

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Knee joints are made up of bones, ligaments and cartilage. The cartilage is a fibrous, elastic tissue that acts as a cushion between the bones of the knee. Over time, and with age, this specialized shock absorber begins to thin, allowing the ball and socket bones in the knee to rub and pound against each other.

Adopting the following strategies will help your knees remain strong, which can prevent injuries during regular exercise or daily activities:

Keep the extra pounds off

A healthy weight is the number one doctor-recommended aim for knee injury prevention.

Build strength in the muscles supporting the knee joint

This will help the muscles help absorb some of the shock that contributes to small, micro-traumatic injuries which cause levels of inflammation to rise.

Stretch

Stretching can fight joint stiffness and add range of motion to the knee, which protects from further wear and tear.

Exercise

A varied exercise program works a different set of muscles over the week. Support for the bones and joints are strengthened. Choose low- or no-impact exercises such as walking, bicycling and swimming. These are the least risky exercises for knees. Running and jumping are high-impact and can stress and shock the knee.

Keep a healthy diet

Eat foods with helpful vitamins like calcium, omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D. Take supplements, such as glucosamine, Chondroitin and fish oil capsules.

Apply ice

Applying ice to your knees after exercising helps relieve the build-up of synovial fluid, which naturally comes into the joint during exercise. If it doesn’t get into the lymphatic system after exercise-which ice helps with- it can crack the cartilage.

Since we want our knees to last us a lifetime, we must be aware of the risk factors of cartilage degeneration and the resulting pain, stiffness and immobility. These factors, stemming from aging, inflammation, and previous minor injuries, will cause further wear and tear of the knee joint.
By following these prevention tips, your knees’ shock absorbers can be effective in protecting the bones of the knee.

Written by: Ruby Holder Moseley, FizzNiche Staff Writer

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3 Easy Knee Exercises To Relieve Pain

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Don’t let bad knees keep you from doing all the things you love to do. In 10 studies focusing on relieving knee pain, the most effective exercises were ones that focused on your quadriceps and hips. Below are three of the most effective physical therapy exercises you can do to relieve knee pain. If you’re in too much pain to stand up, you can do the chair version!

1) Toe Taps Forward

Put on some motivating music and supportive walking shoes. Sit or stand and walk in place by tapping your toes forward as shown. Swing your arms gently as you move your legs. Keep your chin parallel to the ground. Sit or stand up straight as you tap your toes in front of you. Do for one entire song.

TOE TAPS FORWARD

 2) High Knee Marching

Start off marching on the spot. Keep your rib cage lifted, shoulders upright and raise your knees as high as you can aiming to bring your knees up to hip level.   Whether you’re sitting or standing, focus on keeping your spine in correct alignment as you march in place.  Pump your arms up and down in rhythm with your steps, keeping your elbows bent as you swing your arms. Do for one entire song.

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3) Leg Abduction with Functional Fitness Band

Wrap the Functional Fitness band around your thighs and pull one leg out to the side and back in. Make sure to take a full two seconds to bring your leg out to the side and 2 seconds to bring your leg back to starting position each time. You will get faster and safer results when you don’t rush and use controlled movements. Do this for one minute on each side.

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Thanks for taking the time to be with a very important person – YOU! For best results do 3 – 5x a week.

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Ease joint pain and lose weight in the comfort of your own home with the long awaited release of a brand-new DVD that reveals the RIGHT EXERCISES you should be doing for RAPID RESULTS from knee, back, hip and shoulder joint pain. From the creator of Functional Fitness on Public Television, Suzanne Andrews Arthritis Relief Walking Workout, offers easy-to-follow walking moves to ease joint pain. Hurry, 1st edition sold out! More on the way for release date of August 25th, 2015. Reserve your copy now on Amazon. DVD includes a FREE Functional Fitness exercise band.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*PubMed database was used to identify peer-reviewed research publications that addressed the specific clinical question (population, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome). A maximum of 10 articles were reviewed, with strength of design and publication year determining which studies to include.

Ice vs. Heat: Which One Helps Ease Knee Pain Better?

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child_kneeIf you experience knee pain, you’re probably not wondering what type of pain it is. In fact you may not even know there are two basic types of athletic sport injuries: acute and chronic. Acute injuries are brief, occur rapidly, and the cause is usually obvious. They cause pain, and often result from an impact or trauma, like a sprain or collision.

Chronic injuries, on the other hand, develop slowly; they’re persistent and last long. Cause is usually muscle overuse, but may also develop if an acute injury is not properly treated or healed. Most athletes know that ice is applied to an acute injury (i.e. sprained ankle), but they may not know the best time to apply heat.

A knee injury that results in pain, tenderness, redness, skin warm to touch, swelling, or inflammation needs treatment with ice during the first 48 hours after injury. Remember, if there is swelling you have an acute injury. The immediate application of cold therapy, after injury, helps reduce swelling and pain. Ice works as a vaso-constrictor, narrowing blood vessels, which limits internal site bleeding. Apply ice, wrapped in a thin towel to the affected area for 10 minutes. You can ice an acute injury several times a day, up to three days. Just be sure to allow the skin temperature to return to normal before icing a second or third time. Athletes also use ice therapy after a run to help reduce or prevent inflammation.

The best treatment for chronic injuries or injuries with no inflammation or swelling (i.e. sore, stiff, joint pain) is usually heat. Heat, applied to muscles, helps relax tight muscles or spasms. Some athletes with chronic pain or injury may use heat before exercise to increase elasticity and stimulate blood flow. Never apply heat after exercise. However, you should apply heat in 15-20 minute increments, using lots of layers between the heat source and skin to prevent any burns. According to Quinn, “Because some injuries can be serious, you should see your doctor if your injury does not improve (or gets worse) within 48 hours.”

Reference:
Quinn, E., 2014, August 11. Ice or Heat an Injury. Retrieved from http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/rehab/a/heatorcold.htm

Written by: Jamacia Magee, FizzNiche Staff Writer