Staying active is important for a healthy lifestyle. Not only does exercise keep you fit, it also helps you deal with the everyday stress of life. Running is a great way to keep yourself active and fit, but over time, it may take its toll on your body. This is especially true when it comes to your knees.
At Orthopedic Associates of Wisconsin, we want to help you stay active for as long as possible, by taking care of all your orthopedic needs. Our team is led by Dr. Mitchell Klement, our skilled orthopedic surgeon. He helps you with treatment for your knee issues so you can get back to enjoying your active lifestyle.
If you’re pretty active, a knee injury may keep you off of your feet for a few days — but how do you know when a small problem is a sign of something bigger? The truth is, the extent of your injury plays a role in your symptoms.
Although pain might be the first sign of a knee problem, there are other things that may also signal an issue. Some of these symptoms may include:
You also may notice that you’re unable to fully straighten your knee or extend it fully. This may be a sign of a problem in your joint as well. These symptoms may come on suddenly, or start to bother you after several weeks or months, especially if you’re active.
Although it’s true that running is considered a high impact sport, that certainly doesn’t mean that you’ll end up needing knee replacements later in life. In fact, the opposite is actually true.
Osteoarthritis is one of the most common causes of knee pain in older adults. This disease is when the layer of cartilage in your knee joint wears down because of wear and tear on your joint. Osteoarthritis may be caused by a lot of different things, but running isn’t one of them.
Running properly is actually good for your body, your knees included. Many studies have shown that running is actually beneficial to your knees, over a sedentary lifestyle. Even though it’s considered a high impact sport, activity like running helps keep your body healthy.
Running only leads to damage in your knees when you don’t give your body time to rest and heal. It also leads to problems when you’re running on uneven surfaces, or harder surfaces such as concrete. If you’re going to run on a regular basis, it’s also important that you do the proper strength training and conditioning necessary to keep your legs and knees in good shape.
Although knee injuries are considered high in the running population, it’s not running that’s actually leading to knee problems. The truth is, the way you’re running is probably a big reason you’re experiencing pain or injury in your knees.
However, there are ways for you to prevent further injury to your knees when you’re running. First, you want to make sure you have good form when running. You also want to stretch before and after to avoid injuries to your muscles or tendons. Other ways you can preserve your knees include:
Although these steps don’t completely take away your chances of knee problems, they do help you with preventable injuries from improper running form. However, by taking steps like stretching before running and giving yourself time to recover, you greatly decrease your chances of knee issues down the road.
If you’re a runner and are worried about the health of your knees, call our office to schedule a consultation at 262-223-3040, or you can book an appointment online today.
