|
Butcher's
Dog! Regular outdoor fitness tips from the
canine on creatine. Cold wet nose and glossy coat
guaranteed.
Bloody Knees...
There's not a lot worse than
a bad knee, particularly if you're an active outdoors
person. The bad news is that the knee is a pretty complex
bit of enginering and there are all sorts of things that can
go wrong with it - ultimately, anyone with knee problems
should seek specialist help - but here are a few tips to
point you in the right direction.
Biomechanics
In a perfect world, our legs, feet, joints and so on,
would all line up neatly. Unfortunately, in reality many of
us have an imperfect walking action that can throw stresses
onto our joints and cause ongoing pain when walking.
The most common problem is overpronation, when the foot
twists inwards in an exagerated way on foot strike
potentially leading to problems in knees, hips and back. If
you're suffering mild knee pain, then it's worth trying a
corrective footbed, Superfeet Green being the best
known example.
These are designed to help correct mild pronation
problems with a more supportive arch area to stop the foot
flattening under load and a deep, stable heel cup. They can
make a surprising difference to lower leg pain and to feet
as well.
The Next Step...
If you have more serious biomechanical issues, then it's
time to see a sports podiatrist. They'll analyse your
shoes for wear patterns then video you walking and running
on a tread mill in order to analyse your gait. If there's a
problem, they can make up special orthotic insoles to wear
in your boots and shoes, which are designed to create a more
neutral gait.
Full custom-made orthotics aren't cheap, but you need to
ask yourself how much your outdoor time is worth to you - if
biomechanics are your problem, they can make a huge
difference.
General Kneecap Pain
Another classic problem is non-specific knee-cap pain,
the sort of thing that sometimes comes on gradually with no
obvious sudden wrench or impact causing the injury. Very
often it can be due to a muscular imbalance around the knee
that means the knee-cap doesn't track straight up and down
as you walk, but instead slides sideways and rubs against
underlying bones.
The good news is that it's eminently treatable with
special exercises to increase your control over the muscles
around the knee and your best bet if you have problems is to
see a good sports physiotherapist who will be able to
diagnose you and suggest appropriate exercises.
To Pole Or Not To Pole
Lots of walkers find that using trekking poles helps to
reduce stress on their knees by taking some of the weight
off the legs and also improving balance and walking action,
however we'd suggest that it's also a good idea to treat the
underlying cause and consult a professional as above. If you
have biomechanicla issues, for example, it's better to sort
them out than simply partially mask them. Overall though, if
they work for you, we'd say, use them.
Looking After Your Knees - Tips
- Avoid sitting with bent knees for extended periods of
time.
- Don't cross your legs at knees or ankles, keep things
straight.
- If you have to sit, at work for example, walk around
regularly.
- Warm up before physical activity.
- If you cycle, make sure your saddle is high
enough.
- Don't stand with the knee slightly bent which can
shorten tendons.
- Keep your fluid intake up to maintain lubrication of
the joint.
- Don't kneel down if you can avoid it.
Next Steps
Really we're just scratching the surface - there are
dozens of potential knee problems ranging trom long term
degenerative arthritis to impact injuries. We'd always
advise you to seek medical help if you have problems with
your knees. The good news is that the level of pain isn't
always related to the seriousness of the problem, so don't
assume that because it hurts a lot, you have a major problem
:-)
Yours barkingly
Woof!
The Butcher's Dog
|
