How Training Around Knee Pain

How Training Around Knee Pain

Got Knee pain?
Here's what you need to know about common knee injuries and exercise modification so you can still train safely

With long-term bodybuilding (raining, occasionally injuries happen. Some are mild enough that you can easily work your way around them: others leave you sidelined for weeks at a time until they heal. And then there are those you're iust not sure about. In our last issue, we discussed minor spinal injuries and [raining modifications you can make so you can still lift safely. This month the focus is on training around injuries and pain related to the knee.

According to researchers from the University of Memphis', knee injuries accounted for 19.1% of all injuries that occurred among elite weightlifters. Hence, ktdybuilders arc fairly likely to sustain some sort of knee pain somewhere along their lifting career.

The knee is a hinge joint that’s highly stabilized by various ligaments includ-i ng the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), PCI. (posterior cruciate ligament), MCL [medial collateral ligament) and LCL (lateral collateral ligament). Furthermore. there are two padlike structures, known as the medial and lateral meniscus, made up of tough cartilage that sit between the thigh bone (femur) and the shin bone (tibia), which help to distribute your bodyweight across the knee ioint. The knee joint also has many tendons crossing over the joint from the muscles of the quadriceps, hamstrings :ind gastrocnemius. There are also several bursas (fluid-filled saclike structures) that surround the knee to allow for smoother movement of the tendons that cross over the joint.

With all these structures within the knee joint, it's easy to see why this ioint is often compromised. The researchers at the University of Memphis determined that of all injuries that affected the knee, 85.1% of them were diagnosed as a form of tendonitis, 6.5% were strains and 8.4% were other injuries such as knee sprains. Tendonitis can be defined as a chronic inflammation of a tendon (usually the patellar tendon in the knee), strains can be defined as an acute partial or full tear to a muscle or tendon and knee sprains can be defined as an acute partial or full tear to a ligament or the cartilage. “Movements to Avoid With Specific Knee Conditions” outlines what you should do and what you should avoid with each specific condition.

Like any other injury, it’s recommended to take a few days off from lifting and cardio activity that involves the lower extremities if you suffer a knee injury. During your rest from weight training however, upper-body training can Ik- continued as long as you select exercises that allow your knee some down time (i.e.. avoid bent-over barbell rows or standing overhead presses). After a few days of resting your lower extremities, weight training and cardio for the lower body can be resumed. However, be sure to follow the basic recommendations from the table if you've suffered an injury, and seek further medical care from a qualified sports medicine professional if your injury lingers.

 Click For article "MOVEMENTS TO AVOID WITH SPECIFIC KNEE CONDITIONS"