Protect Your Knees

I have been given the opportunity to be very grateful for those knobby things in the middle of my leg called knees.  I slipped down the stairs the other day, injuring my right knee.  Suddenly I became keenly aware of just how much my sweet knees do for me everyday. Thank you, knees!

Keeping your knees in good health is an important aspect of daily living.  All of our joints are lubricated with synovial fluid and held in place by muscles and tendons.  


Low-impact movement: generates blood flow and lubrication of the joint and cartilage; a key part of knee health.  
 
Strengthening: the knee joint is held in place by ligaments (which join bone to bone) and tendons (which join muscle to bone). Strengthening the hamstrings and the inner and outer quadriceps equally helps stabilize the knee.  Oftentimes the inner quadriceps are weaker, creating imbalance.
Mobility: flexibility of the knee and supporting muscles - quadriceps, hamstrings and hips also contributes to the overall health of the knee.
 
Good Posture: poor posture can compound or create a knee injury. Imbalanced weight runs down the spine, and eventually bears down on the knees, so stand tall!

A mindful yoga practice will keep your body in balance, greatly reducing the chance of injury.  As you practice, alignment is important in keeping your knees safe.  Here are some pointers that will help you maintain correct alignment.  

• Avoid hyper-extending or popping the knee all the way back.

• Start from the ground up.  Open your toes, hug the floor, press down through all four corners of both feet, and actively lift the arches.

• Keep your knees in line. Stack - knee over ankle, knee cap in line with 2nd toe.

• Listen to your body.  If you feel aching in the joint after coming out of a posture, you have likely gone too deep.  You should never feel pain on the inside of your knee joint after a pose.

• Balancing, poses - especially those that require moving into a bent leg, such as eagle pose strengthen and stabilize.

• Use props.  Don't be afraid to use props that will help you maintain proper alignment.

• Warm up with hip openers. "If your big joints aren't open, your small joints will always take the stress," yoga instructor Sandy Blaine says. "Many people hurt their knees doing Lotus when their hips aren't ready." 

I went to see my chiropractor today and explained the details of my accident to him.  Upon examining my knee, he exclaimed, "It's a good thing you are so flexible, or you would have really been in trouble."   Once again, my yoga practice has saved the day! 

Eagle Pose