Tips to keep your knee healthy & strong
Besides being one of the largest joints in your body, “the knee joints are unique and the motion involved is also very complex,” says Dr. Ajay Kumar Tiwari, a renowned orthopaedic surgeon in Hyderabad who does a number of Hip joint and Knee Joint surgeries successfully. The knee is composed of four main components – cartilage, ligaments, tendons and bones. They all make up your knee joint: if any of the parts get damaged or due to wear and tear condition they can cause pain and other conditions.
If you feel a click or pop sensation in your joint while walking or bending without pain or swelling, don’t worry, first schedule an appointment with the best knee specialist near you to diagnose the exact problem. Over the years, along with the natural ageing process of the knee joints, some other factors like osteoarthritis, injury, extra body weight or obesity and lack of muscle strength and flexibility can create or contribute to many knee problems.
However, to minimize the risk of enduring joint pain, stiffness and inflammation, you need to follow some simple steps to protect your primary joints like knees. To maintain and improve the health of your joints, exercise is one key, but what else you can do?
Here are some of the best tips to maintain your knee joints in top shape.
Keep moving
Staying in motion is the golden rule for joint health. The more you keep moving, the less joint stiffness you have. Even when you are reading, watching TV or while working, the best way is to change sitting positions often. In fact, movement can ease your joint stiffness, decrease pain, and strengthen your muscles around the joints. It helps us to maintain proper weight. Keep moving, the benefits are for real.
Some golden principles to remember for joint protection:
- Don’t ignore the pain signs.
- Avoid actions that stress your joints or increase pain.
- Maintain proper body mechanics.
- Balance your daily activities and rest.
- Check out possible assistive tools or mobility aids.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
Maintain a healthy weight
To maintain proper joint health, it is important to maintain ideal body weight. Excess body weight creates stress on your joints, particularly the joints that bear your weight. Studies have stated that significant weight loss can reduce your knee pain, and joint stiffness linked with knee osteoarthritis.
Joint Protection
It is important for you to protect your joints, particularly if you suffer from arthritic conditions. The main aim of joint-protection is to reduce pain and stress placed on the joints.
Doing low-Impact exercises is good for knee
Low-impact exercises protect your cartilage in the knees. They help to achieve the desired benefits. Low impact exercises are the gentler workouts that minimize the stress on your joints. Arthritis Foundation says that low-impact exercises like swimming, golf, walking and cycling keep your knee joint healthy and prevent future damage.
Strengthen Your Muscles
Your joint is surrounded by muscles, and they support the joint by providing strength. So you must keep your muscles as strong as possible. By doing some simple strengthening exercises can maintain or improve your muscle strength. Be attentive while doing your workouts and don’t overdo it. With proper training, you will gain the required stability to your joints.
Range-of-Motion Exercises
Arthritic conditions limit the range of motion of your joints. To preserve the range of motion of your joint or to improve it, you should make a routine of practising a range of motion exercises like extending, bending, or rotating each of your joints to its full range of motion. Range-of-motion exercises will improve the flexibility of your joints, relieve stiffness and pain, and also maintain your joints functional.
Maintain a proper diet
Along with exercises, some changes in lifestyle & nutritional habits can help to control and improve your overall joint health. There are several ways to boost joint health. Many experts suggest a Mediterranean diet works well for overall joint health and bone health as well. It is a combination of vitamins, minerals, fibre, and other healthy fats that are excellent for your health.
Take Vitamin D and Calcium
Vitamin D and calcium are the two important nutrients required for healthy bones. Vitamin D absorbs calcium in your body required for bones. You can receive vitamin D from sun exposure or diet or through supplements.
Many people take vitamin D as supplements. A blood test can determine whether you are having vitamin D deficiency. Low calcium is an indication of low bone density and increases the risk of fracture.
Stop Smoking
Most people don’t know that smoking can increase the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. Smoking also enhances the possibility of the inflammatory condition bursitis or tendonitis. Smokers are highly vulnerable to lower back pain and rheumatoid arthritis. So if you are a smoker, quit it right away even if you don’t have any bone problems to preserve your bone health and joint health.
Increasing age results in many health problems and reduction in joint strength is one of the major concerns. However, many of you can overcome this problem up to a certain age. To know more details contact Dr. Ajay Kumar Tiwari, one of the best joint replacement surgeons in Hyderabad. A healthy joint means a happy life.
