The question “how to train if my knees hurt?” – One of the most common questions to coaches and to us as well. I’m not going to treat anyone on the Internet, but a post on the topic “why my knees hurt” is clearly necessary. At least in order to give a general idea of ??the problem and, if necessary, to move to see a doctor for an accurate diagnosis.
Knees – this is the joint that is most at risk for injuries and pain. The reasons are many. Here are just a few of them:
Why do my knees hurt?
Bursitis
The joint is washed with joint fluid, which is contained in the periarticular bag. Bursitis is an inflammation of the mucous bags of the knee joint. It can be caused by injuries, high loads, infections.
- Arthritis
Inflammatory process of the knee joint, including rheumatoid arthritis. Symptoms may include pain, stiffness, especially in the morning, swelling and redness of the knee.
- Acute Knee Injury
Acute pain in the knee can occur due to trauma: a strong blow, falling to the knees, unnatural bending of the joint. Common diagnoses are rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, rupture of the meniscus. Some doses of Clenbuterol by Maxtreme in USA may help.
- Sprains and dislocations
Minor ligament injuries caused by abrupt or unnatural movements and turns. Stretching can occur from excessive stress, lack of warm-up, poor flexibility. Symptoms – pain and difficulty moving, pale skin or bruising, swelling. Dislocations occur due to unnatural movements.
- Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
Another name is “runner’s knee”. The reason is overload of the knee. It is found in many runners, and more often in women than in men. The syndrome causes pain in the front of the knee, which can be aggravated by squats, running, prolonged sitting, climbing stairs.
- Tendinitis
Tendon inflammation. May occur from monotonous repetitive movements. Signs – pain with active movements, jumping, pain in the upper part of the patella.
- “Dangerous” for knee loads
Some types of activity put more pressure on the knees than others. This does not mean that they must be deleted once and for all and life. But to cancel or reduce the load in the acute period or with problems already encountered is worth it. So what is loading our knees:
- Run
- Sports in which frequent accelerations and stops occur (basketball)
- Some types of aerobics (step, for example)
- Squats
- Rotations and turns
Home treatment
At home, you can take some measures that will help relieve pain and inflammation. Due to the variety of causes of knee pain, these recommendations are, of course, not absolute for all cases, but are suitable for many of them.
- Ice
Ice can help control pain and inflammation. It can be applied for 15-20 minutes every 2-4 hours, especially after physical activity. As “ice”, ice packs, as well as frozen vegetables and a frozen towel can be used. When applying ice, raise your leg so that your knee is higher than your heart.
- Painkillers
If necessary, you can use anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs – ibuprofen, aspirin.
Knee strengthening
Rehabilitation of the knees begins with simple strengthening exercises in which the diseased knee joint does not bend. Two of these exercises are also in our catalog: lifting the legs to the abducting muscles of the thigh and lifting the legs to the adducting muscles. It will also be useful to lift straight legs (in turn) from a supine position and partial (very shallow) squats with the back supported against the wall.
Prevention
If knee pain is the result of physical exertion:
- Always do a warm-up before your workout and a warm-up after
- Avoid running in the “down” direction – from a hill, as well as running on asphalt
- Instead of running, choose a bike and swimming
- Reduce workout stress
- Solve the problem of excess weight, if any. Each extra kilogram creates an additional load on the knees
- If you have flat feet, wear special shoes or insoles
