Sport Knee Injuries - The In's and Out's

Every athlete and sports person are prone to injuries. Knee injuries are very common among them. 60 percent of runners are injured every year. One third of them are related to knee injuries. Knee injuries constitute about 15 percent of the overall injuries. Knee joint is made up of bone, cartilage, ligaments. Tendons connect the muscles with bones. When there is a change in the structural order, results in great pain and difficulty in walking. Hence it will be better to understand the functionality and the structure of knee joints and we can take great care.

Arthritis is the most common disease found. Severe pain and swelling are encountered in the cartilage. The famous and common injury is Cruciate Ligament (ACL). ACL can be caused by a sudden twisting motion. ACL is found in equal number among male and female athletes. But women are prone to ACL than men. It can be treated by a micro surgery. They do not pain but certainly cause a "pop" sound. Young athletes often encounter condromalacia. This is caused due to trauma, overuse and due to the poor alignment of knee joint. This will lead to friction and rubbing under the knee cap and thus resulting in damaging the cartilage. On frequent practice session, this will create more pain and will not allow them to even walk. All aspects would become difficult to pursue.

Another major disorder found among athletes is Osteoarthritis. It will gradually degenerate the wearing of joint cartilage. Pain, Swelling and inability to move knee are the best symptoms. Tendonitis is caused by overuse. It is a rare case found among athletes and often called as "jumper's knee". A sudden jerk or strained movement may force the quadriceps muscles to contract forcefully resulting in jumper's knee.

Treating knee injuries play a vital role in a speedy recovery. Because the treatment will decide the future course of action for the players. So better the treatment, faster is the recovery. For chondromalacia, doctors recommend exercises which can strengthen muscles. An arthroscopic surgery may do the job perfectly. At the early stages of ACL, general physical exercises are enough. And in the worst cases, doctors may recommend the surgery. The torn ends of ligaments are re-attached in the surgery. Most of the strains and strains can be easily treated by RICE method. Osteoarthritis can be overcome by exercises. Weight loss is mostly preferred in this. They are treated with analgesics like aspirin.

Let us see some of the ways to prevent knee injuries. A very simple yet effective way is to follow the 10 percent rule. This indicates that one should limit the exercises and training to a maximum of 10 percent each week. Doing too much of exercises in a quick session is the cause of most knee injuries. Flexibility exercises must be undergone periodically. This will help in further strengthening of muscles. Athletes must also undergo skills training. Know your body and start your works is a simple motto to prevent knee injuries.