The timeless aphorism “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” also holds true for knee injuries, which are among the common causes of knee pain among many Americans.
Given the prevalence of knee injuries in sports and fitness activities, it pays to incorporate some preventive strategies into your routine to avoid getting sidelined and dashing your training hopes. Here are a few quick tips to help you stay on top of your game:
Make it a habit to warm up and cool down.
Warmup exercises are an integral part of any workout routine. They allow your body to smoothly transition from rest to active mode. They slowly rev up your cardiovascular system and increase blood flow to your muscles, thereby reducing their risk of getting injured during your workout.
Cooldown exercises are just as essential to knee injury prevention as warmups: stopping your physical activity right away can cause lactic acid buildup in your muscles, resulting in pain, stiffness, and movement restriction.
Improve flexibility.
Stretching your calves, hamstrings, and quadriceps (group of four muscles located at the front of your thighs) enables you to build strength and flexibility in these muscle groups, which consequently enable your knees to withstand the brunt of your movements during physical activity.
Consider the following exercises to help you improve your flexibility:
- Step-ups
- Hamstring curls
- Straight-leg lifts
- Butterfly stretch
- Standing hip flexor
Observe proper body mechanics.
This helps you ensure you are delegating the pressure to the correct muscle groups and joints, thus preventing knee injuries, including torn ligaments.
Coordinate with your sports medicine doctor or trainer about the proper body mechanics for exercise and sports.
Know your limits.
Contrary to what many athletes and exercise enthusiasts believe, pain isn’t always an indication of weakness; it’s actually your body’s way of telling you that you do need to slow down a little or, better yet, rest.
Sports medicine specialists and trainers alike assert that it’s important for anyone involved in physical activity to listen to their bodies, as it’s always easy to confuse the type of soreness associated with a healthy workout and that with an injury. If you feel a pop in your knee, stop.
Wear appropriate sports gear.
Another way of keeping your knees from getting hurt is to invest in appropriate sports gear (knee pads). These protect, support, and cushion your knees in case of falls.
Some products help you prevent knee stiffness or soreness and improve stability.
Knee Injury Treatment in Dallas, TX
If you sustained a knee injury and want to recover successfully without having to rely on medications or surgery, turn to our sports medicine specialists at Reagan Integrated Sports Medicine. We offer a vast range of innovative nonsurgical treatment approaches as well as on-site rehabilitation therapy services to hasten your return to action. We will also teach you strategies to help avoid future injuries and ultimately enhance your athletic performance.
You can schedule an appointment with us through our convenient online form. For urgent concerns, please call us at (972) 503-7272 instead.
