Fitness: What Your Knees May Be Saying
They can be insistent but they always tell you the truth.
Physically speaking, we’re still half ape-men (and -women), and no disrespect to the creationists who might’ve got their knee pain from dancing too on the head of a pin. Be that’s as may, we do still suffer from the consequences of an upright posture, meaning not dragging your knuckles behind you, Gertrude. (No disrespect to our weight-lifting buddies who sometimes still do.) But walking upright takes its toll, putting strain on the back, knees and hips, and making them vulnerable weak points. Especially physical fitness-wise, almost anything you do will almost invariably end up affecting your knees.
They’re this way because the knee process doesn’t stop forming until sometime into your 20s, and repetitive stress early on, say, like a teenager long-distance runner, leaves them even more open to joint pain and damage later in life.
Some common causes of knee pain
It may happen out of the blue, usually when you’re jogging and all of a sudden experience pain sharp enough to make you to stop. Pain like this has probably been building for years, but it’s the repetitiveness of jogging brings it out.
But whatever you do, don’t “run through it.” If your first 5 minutes on a treadmill are painful, but then get better, stop. What you are experiencing is Knee Problems 101 and, if you push it, it’s only going to get worse. What you’ll need is to bring down that swelling by ice pack and ibuprofen before you lace up your runners again.
Other reasons that your knees might hurt:
- Arthritis. Knees are very susceptible to osteoarthritis, a degenerative process gradually wearing away the protective cartilage of the joint; it’s most noticeable during movement.
- Patellofemoral syndrome. Overuse and overexertion can lead to this condition, noted for a dull ache around the front of the kneecap. Caused by tendon strain, a torn cartilage or a kneecap improperly aligned or a combination of any of the three.
- Cartilage tear. Trauma or extreme overexertion can tear your meniscus, and can also be caused by sprains. A torn meniscus may leave the bones to grind together and cause pain. It may also begin to lock up over time.
- Sprains and strains to the knee. Can affect ligaments or muscles and usually caused by a blow or severe twist. Will induce pain, swelling and difficulty in walking, in that order.
- Tendonitis. Overuse during running, jumping, cycling, or team sports causes this condition which leads to inflamed connective tendons linking bone to muscle. Similar to “tennis elbow”, alleviating the pain—found usually in front of the knee when walking up or down stairs—RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation) is called for.
Be a man not a moron:
If RICE doesn’t work then get thee to a doctor. They have ways of diagnosing your problem.
- Imaging tests may include X-rays, MRIs or CT scans to allow doctors a peek inside the knee.
- Arthroscopy is a procedure that uses a small tube fitted with a tiny camera inserted inside the knee Images are relayed to a screen enabling a fast and minimal procedure.
- Radionuclide bone scan involves injecting a small amount of radioactive material allowing doctors to assess blood flow and cellular activity to the bone and knee.
(If it’s not clear yet that we don’t like doctors or their procedures, it should be. We go anyway.)
Treatment options for knee pain:
There are a number of remedies depending on the problem that work splendidly.
- Rest and ice the knee 15-20 minutes every three to four hours the first couple of days after a pain or injury (the short version RICE).
- Use crutches to take pressure off the knee during recovery.
- Use a temporary brace to stabilize tendons or ligaments weakened by injury.
- Medications will help reduce the swelling and pain, over-the-counter drugs or analgesics prescribed by a doctor.
- Steroid knee injections mediate severe pain of chronic conditions such as arthritis.
- Strength-train the supporting muscles (which may or may not include physical therapy): quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves; stretching; and low-impact cardio like cycling or swimming.
- Use surgery when necessary to repair torn or severely damaged tendons and cartilage or chronic, painful problems.
As always, the first line of defense is a good weight-training program. Pay attention, tho’, to what your body tells you, especially regarding knee pain. It’s axiomatic; if you ignore it, you are going to make it worse. Trust us.
For more information contact crazykidjoey@gmail.com.
