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HEALTH - Ever taken a moment’s pause because of a sharp pain in the knee followed by a reduced ability to move around? Even on days when we do not realize it, the knee is an essential joint in our body. From making it possible to climb massive mountains to sitting comfortably in your favorite spot in your home, taking care of your knee is important. Over the years, due to the higher presence of adulteration in our foods and our fast-moving lifestyle, it has become difficult for many to focus on their health continuously.
Due to this, people are finding it challenging to keep moving their joints, like the knee. These limitations can lead to knee conditions requiring increased AP and ML stability and protection to prevent further damage to the joint’s tissue and ligaments. While a protection brace is essential and highly recommended if you experience pain and engage in activities requiring intense movements, combining them with conscious efforts to avoid knee replacement surgery can be immensely beneficial in the long run.
Following are some practical ways you can start caring for your knees, one step at a time.
1. Work on Weight Management
The knees are responsible for supporting the entire body's weight, making them vulnerable to compressive, tensile, and shearing stress. These elements can cause extensive wearing and tearing of the joint, lubricating fluid around it, and may cause stress in the ligaments. Such damage is slow and gradual.
Staying within a prescribed weight limit is highly recommended to ensure your knee joints can carry the weight without experiencing excessive stress. If you have been overweight and are working towards reclaiming your health, avoid exercises involving jumping and instead start with knee-friendly exercises.
2. Focus on Protecting Your Knees
Precaution is better than cure. The same is true for knee care. If strength training, walking long distances, or marathons are your jam, investing in protective gear will also benefit you. These gears are designed to offer protection, support, and safety. A major part of these gears are made to be discreet, ensuring you can wear them throughout the day without anyone noticing.
3. Strengthen Your Leg Muscles
Working on strengthening your knee muscles is an excellent and most effective way to avoid knee replacement surgery in the future. A strong thigh muscle will evenly distribute the weight around the knee area, allowing the joint to be under less stress.
If you are unsure where to start, working with a physical therapist can be immensely advantageous as they prescribe workout routines corresponding to your weaknesses, allowing you to regain strength. Strength training has emerged as a practical solution to strengthen one’s muscles and bones against the damage caused due to aging. Make sure you are taking it slow and are starting from lower weights.
4. Eat Healthy and Nutrition-Rich Food
The food we eat plays a significant role in how our body acts as we age or are subjected to injuries. Some critical food items that you must add to your diet include the following.
- Foods rich in calcium
- Green and leafy vegetables
- Fatty fish and fish oils
- Lean protein
- Nuts
- Whole grains
- Spices and herbs
- Fortified foods
- Bone broth.
As we age, our bodies' nutritional needs and requirements change, and making changes to your diet accordingly can alleviate the plight of knee-related health concerns.
5. Consider Supplements
There are times when the body finds it challenging to absorb nutrients from the food. It could be due to intolerances or simply your body’s inability to do it. In such cases, supplements can be immensely beneficial. Aside from making nutrients more readily available, supplements are also a great way to include nutrients like vitamin B12, carnosine, vitamin D3, selenium, etc, which are usually not found in a plant-based diet but can be fulfilled by taking supplements. Ensure you do not excessively depend on supplements to cover your everyday nutritional needs.
Bottomline
Knee replacement surgeries are scary and can limit your movement for the longest time (due to recovery requirements). Regularly exercising, eating healthy and nutrient-rich food, and keeping your knees protected will ensure you can enjoy your life without compromising your lifestyle. If you are faced with excessive pain or discomfort, seek professional advice at the earliest.
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