How Athletes Can Work To Prevent Common Knee Injuries

Knee injuries sideline countless athletes every single day, and these injuries can range from minor tweaks to major tears. Athletes are constantly running, jumping, twisting, turning and changing directions, and much of the stress of these actions falls on the knees. Our knees are very strong and stable, but all of this stress takes its toll on the joint, and eventually it can succumb to acute or repetitive strain.

There’s no surefire way to completely prevent knee injuries, but if you are smart in your approach to athletics and your training program, you can significantly reduce your risk of being felled by a knee injury. Below, we explore some of the ways that athletes can work to prevent knee problems from developing.

Knee Injury Prevention Tips For Athletes

All athletes will face their own unique challenges to their health based on the specifics of their sport, so while you may have to tweak some of the following tips based on your individual needs, there’s a good chance many of these tips will serve to protect and strengthen your knees and in turn reduce their risk of injury.

Varied Workouts - You may have a pretty specific workout routine that you regularly follow, but make sure that you aren’t overlooking different muscle groups. For example, if running is your only form of exercise, you may be overworking your hips and knees and overlooking the importance of a strong upper body and core. Varying your workouts ensures that different muscle groups develop similarly, and it keeps certain joints from being exposed to repetitive stress. Don’t always pursue the same sport-specific exercises, as this can end up being hard on your knees. Targeting related systems that help to support your knees (like your core, your hips, your hamstrings and your glutes) can also help to take pressure off the joint.

Perfect Your Form - Oftentimes injuries can be traced back to poor or inefficient form. To again use runners as an example, if their form or footstrike pattern is putting additional stress on their knees, they can be at a heightened risk for injuries. The same goes for gym goers who have poor form on the bench press or the seated row machine. Talk with an athletic trainer, a personal trainer, a physical therapist or even your orthopedic specialist for advice on your athletic form so that it isn’t inherently increasing your risk of injury.

Warm Up - Don’t just jump right into intense physical activity. Instead, take 5-10 minutes before a game or an exercise routine to help your body prepare for the stress that’s about to come. Gradually easing into athletic activity can increase the amount of synovial fluid in your joints. This fluid helps to lubricate tissues in the joints so that they can move as expected and handle the stress you put on them. Warming up also improves your neuromuscular control and proprioception during athletics movements, in turn decreasing your likelihood of an injury.

Shape To Play, Not Play To Shape - We want you to get in shape so that you can play your game, we don’t want you to play your game in order to get in shape. If you don’t train for the upcoming season or help your body prepare for the rigors of a marathon or two-a-day practices, you’ll be at a heightened risk for injury, and one of the most susceptible areas for injury is your knee. If you’re overweight and underprepared for the stress of athletic activity, you’ll be putting an abundance of strain on a weak joint. Gradually prepare for that new season or next challenge ahead of time so that your body and your knees are ready for what’s to come.

Trust The Pros - Finally, if you really want to protect your knee and decrease your likelihood of injury, connect with a professional who can provide some individualized sport-specific advice. Whether you turn to a local athletic trainer or Dr. Reznik, who has served as a team physician at the US Tennis Open and for a professional hockey team, you’ll find that there’s a lot to learn about injury prevention from medical professionals. And if you want to learn more about how to keep your knees healthy from the comfort of your home, consider taking a look at Dr. Reznik’s most recent publication, The Knee And Shoulder Handbook. His book is packed with helpful information and contextualized diagrams that don’t require a medical degree to decipher. Athletes across the country are getting stronger and keeping knee injuries at bay with the help of this book, and you can too.

We’re confident that you can greatly reduce your risk of a knee injury by taking some small steps to strengthen and stabilize your knee joints. For more tips, check out The Knee And Shoulder Handbook or contact Dr. Reznik’s office today at (203) 865-6784.