Knee joint maintenance, are you doing it right?
Knee weight-bearing times
1.When lying down, the weight of the knee is almost 0.
2.When you stand up and walk, the weight on your knee is about 1 to 2 times your body weight.
3.When walking up and down slopes or up and down steps, the weight of the knee is about 3 to 4 times of the body weight.
4.When running, the weight of the knee is about 4 times of the body weight.
5, when playing ball, the weight of the knee is about 6 times the weight.
6, squatting and kneeling, the weight of the knee is about 8 times the weight.
For example: a person weighing 50kg, for each step, the knees have to bear about 200kg of weight. (50*4 times)
The state of the knee joint at each age
The human knee joint has the best condition for 15 years
Before 15 years old
The knee joint is in the developmental stage, and most of the growing pains in adolescence occur near the knee joint.
From 15 to 30 years old
The knee joint is in “perfect condition” and works tirelessly. As long as the knee tissue is not damaged, it is not felt.
30 – 40 years old
Early mild wear and tear of the patellofemoral cartilage results in a period of weakness, with short-term knee pain lasting a few weeks to a few months, which some people do not even notice. Patellofemoral cartilage is a 3-5 mm thick layer of hyaline cartilage in the human knee joint that cushions the knee joint from the impact of movement.
However, because the patellar cartilage has no nerve distribution, it will only sound an “early warning signal” once during the vulnerable period before the full layer wears out, and strenuous exercise should be avoided during this period. From this time on, the knee joint can no longer be used as you wish.
40 – 50 years old
After walking long distances, the inner side of the knee joint tends to become sore and painful, which is relieved by gentle rubbing. In the knee joint, the meniscus serves to cushion vibrations and maintain stability. Since 60% of the body weight is supported by the medial side of the knee joint, the degeneration of the medial meniscus occurs earlier. Because of the nerve distribution in the meniscus, people can feel soreness and pain during the degeneration process. This phenomenon is a reminder that it is time to start taking care of your joints.
Over 50 years old
This is because the patellofemoral cartilage has reached the end of its “useful life”, the cartilage is worn down and arthritis has developed. This is the time to conserve the use of the joint, reduce strenuous exercise, especially stairs and climbing, and use crutches if necessary to reduce the stress on the knee joint.
Causes of knee pain in middle-aged and elderly people
After middle age, the tendons and ligaments of the knee joint begin to undergo degenerative changes, the synovial fluid secretion in the joint cavity decreases, the bone surface of the joint rubs together for a long time to form bone wear, and the tissues around the joint are prone to fibrous adhesions due to inflammation, so the elderly often feel stiffness in the knee joint.
This can lead to pain, swelling, and joint fluid accumulation when exposed to cold or excessive activity, and in severe cases, it can cause joint deformity and disability. Specifically, the causes of knee pain in the elderly are as follows.
1, chronic synovitis: chronic pain and swelling in the knee joint. Synovial effusion and synovial hypertrophy can be seen on physical examination.
2. Patellar deviation: the knee joint is sore and weak after activity, improves after rest, and is painful when semi-squatting.
3, free body in the knee joint: the patient’s leg is weak or has a feeling of joint stuck, and there is a friction sound under the patella.
4, prepatellar bursitis: there is a history of trauma, causing prepatellar pain, and localized pressure pain on physical examination.
5, osteoarthrosis: joint pain is obvious after sitting or squatting for a long time, when standing up or going up or down stairs, and relieved after rest.
6, pseudogout: more male patients, preferably in the knee joint. The painful swelling, high skin temperature and limited function during the attack. x-ray shows calcification of meniscus and articular cartilage surface.
Pain in different parts of the knee joint
1. Pain in the lateral iliotibial band of the knee.
2, Anterior knee pain around the knee, also called patellofemoral joint pain.
3, Pain above the knee, which may be quadriceps tendonitis.
4. Pain above the kneecap or on the inside of the upper tibia, which may be bursitis.
Daily care for sore knees
1.Don’t walk for too long, and rest immediately when your knee feels uncomfortable.
2, do not do heavy exercise, such as running, high jump, long jump.
3, avoid half squat, full squat or kneeling position. Such as squatting horse stance.
4, do not do the knee joint half flexion rotation action, to prevent half plate injury.
5, maintain the ideal weight to reduce the burden on the knee.
6, pay attention to the warmth of the knee, you can wear long pants, knee pads to protect the knee.
7, less heavy lifting, less wearing high heels.
8.Avoid trauma and overwork.
9, the choice of shoes is very important. A pair of shoes that fit can not only make you walk comfortably, but also reduce the impact and pressure on the knee when exercising.
Should I exercise when I have a knee injury?
In the case of an injured knee, unreasonable exercise can lead to secondary damage to the knee. Over time, the meniscus of the knee will lose its protective and cushioning effect due to wear and tear, and heavy people may have trouble walking. The knee joint is a hinge joint and can only move back and forth, not left and right. If the knee joint has been injured, the first thing to do is to pay attention to protection. If allowed, you can do simple back and forth exercises to promote blood circulation in the knee joint, but it is not suitable for strong activities, not enough movement will easily cause stiffness of the knee joint, excessive movement will accelerate the wear and tear of the joint, but the movement is still to the extent that the joint does not feel pain.
Preventive care of the knee joint
1, side lying exercises: lying on the left side, knees slightly bent, heels together. Head resting on the left arm, eyes looking straight ahead. The right hand holds a weight of about 1 to 2 kg, placed on the outside of the leg. Then tense the abdomen, tense the hips, lift the knee of the right leg as high as possible, hold the body still while lifting the leg, hold for a few seconds and put it down. Repeat the exercise 15 times, change legs.
2, leg lifting exercises: stand behind a solid bench or step, step on the right foot (heel do not hang), and focus the weight on the right foot, the body is raised, the left foot toes touch the step, hold on for 1 to 5 seconds. Then lower the left foot and tap the ground. Repeat 8 to 10 times, change legs.
3, bridge exercise: lie flat on the ground, knees bent, feet apart, hip-width apart, arms on the sides. Slowly lift the hips and leave the ground smoothly. Then slowly put down. Repeat 15 times.
4, leg extension exercise: lie flat, knees bent, feet flat on the ground. Extend the left leg, set into the stretch
Pull the band or towel, grab the ends of the band with both hands. Use the strap to pull the leg to the chest, and then force the calf straight, hold for 10 to 30 seconds to exercise the calf muscles and hamstrings. Repeat the action 3 to 5 times, then switch legs.
5. Diet: Eat more vitamin K (such as peas and broccoli) or take some glucosamine supplements, both of which are good for knee health.