If you like to work out in the gym you can ask a lot of your body. - You know this...
Suddenly, your knees are asked to perform on a higher level when you are working out vs. when you are out on a leisurely walk.- If you do any heavy lifting in the gym (such as in squats or a leg press for example) or you are simply putting your knees under added stress due to another activity when you work out, then you will need to think about protecting your knee's future.
When it comes to preserving your knees, it is important to protect your knees on a short term, as well as a long term basis, if you want to do it right.
The problem with knee pain is that all the hard work you put into working out can waste away, very quickly, if you get an unexpected knee injury in the gym. This kind of knee pain problem can block your motivation to go the gym, because it is harder to get to the work out facility...
Nobody wants this to happen to you, but you are already aware that injuries are more likely when you are under the stress that a hard work out can create.
Let's not joke around here, sometimes having good work out form is just not going to be good enough. Unfortunately, just resting your knees is not always going to make your knee pain go away either.
When you have knee discomfort or instability issues in the gym, having some extra added support can be a very helpful thing. One of the best ways to help support your knees when you work out is with the use of a well designed knee brace.
Many individuals are worried that if they used a knee support it will only get in the way. - This is not true. There are many knee support options for people that will give you needed extra support and pain reduction, while being very low profile in design.
In the end, the choice is yours. You can grin and bear knee pain and hope it goes away or you can get proactive and think about ways to help address the issues you are having. We hope that rest will do the trick for your knee pain, but when it does not, it may be time to seriously consider the use of a knee brace to help you stay supported in the gym.
Do you suffer from knee discomfort at the same time?
When you experience either one of these issues, it can be a very unsettling experience.
If you have ever had this happen to you, you might be seeing early signs of patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS).
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) - An Overview
The term "PFPS" can also be known as "anterior knee pain" and/or "runner's knee" in different medical information that you will find.
There are many muscle groups and ligaments that help control the movement of the patella. The kneecap and thighbone come together to form a joint called the patellofemoral joint. This joint is made up of muscles, soft tissue attachments and the trochlear groove where the patella moves along. As long as it stays "on track" you problably will not experience any patella deviation.
PFPS is a knee condition in which people usually indicate that they have pain "around" or "under" the kneecap. Sometimes this condition is also referred to as chondromalcia patella, but various medical authors have disagreed on the validity of this statement...
Typically, your kneecap is designed to move smoothly along a groove on the femur or thighbone, called the trochlear groove. PFPS, is believed to be related to poor kneecap (patella) "tracking".
The patella can be pulled off the track of the trochlear groove and can deviate off of your true knee center position. This can occur when the front thigh muscles are weak and imbalanced, causing pressure and strain on the cartilage on the undersurface of the kneecap. - Patellar dislocations are more likely to occur when your knee is moving; this is more commonly seen in runners and athletes.
Causes of Poor Knee Tracking
There are four conditions that can predispose poor tracking of the patella along the femur, and it is important to see your physician if you believe you have one of these problems.
- Weak Quadriceps- The front thigh muscle or the quadriceps become weak and can cause an imbalance as the patella slides over the groove along the femur. A supervised strengthening exercise can help correct this poor knee tracking issue.
- Imbalanced Quadriceps - The four divisions of the quadriceps can become imbalanced. The kneecap is pulled off center as a result of the imbalanced pull by the outer quad and the inner quad. This issue can worsen over time and develop into a more severe case of PFPS.
Rehabilitative exercise can also help correct this imbalance of the quadriceps and correct the painful knee experience. If this is done at the early stages of the muscle problem you may be having, the condition may not deteriorate into PFPS.
- Weak Hamstrings - This imbalance occurs when the muscles in the front of the thigh (quadriceps) becomes stronger than the hamstrings. This condition can put a strain on the quads causing increased pressure on the femur and the kneecap.
Treatment of PFPS
There are two types of medical interventions used to help treat Patellofemoral pain syndrome- invasive and non invasive treatments.
Under a more severe condition, the surgical option might be recommended by your orthopedist (consult your physician for medical advice). The surgeon can either perform an arthroscopic lateral release, which will help correct the tracking of the patella, or do ligament tightening.
A support, sometimes referred to as a patellar tracking knee sleeve (or patella tracking knee brace) can be used to help limit any deviation of your kneecap. This is a very helpful support while you participate in rehab, especially when your muscles may be weakened. Moreover, the use of a knee support can help reduce pressure on your knee joint, and as a result can reduce your knee pain as well. These supports should not be overlooked, and can really become your new best friend if you have knee problems such as PFPS.
Both Andrew Sims & Daniel Sims are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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