Strengthen Your Knees

Knee pain and difficulties associated with their weakness are way too common. In fact,
it’s one of the most common complaints of Americans of all ages, affecting 1 in 4 adults, and
even appears to be increasing. Obesity, injuries, and arthritis all contribute to its incidence, with
problems stemming from physical activity most common among young adults, and age-related
osteoarthritis occuring of course with the older population. Knee weakness or pain is not
something that has to be tolerated for the rest of your life. There are reasonable tactics to
address knee issues that we’ll go over after first looking a little more closely at the knees
themselves.

Each knee actually has two joints; the tibiofemoral joint between the femur (thighbone)
and tibia (shinbone), and the patellofemoral joint between the femur and the patella (kneecap).
The knee is the largest and one of the most important joints in the body since its function is
essential in both horizontal (running and walking) and vertical (jumping) directions. There are
four main ligaments and numerous tendons connecting the quadriceps, hamstrings, patella, and
iliotibial band. A C-shaped piece of cartilage that acts as a cushion between the tibia and femur
is called the meniscus.

As common as it may be, knee pain doesn’t have to be inevitable. There are some very
practical tips for preventing or decreasing weak knees we can give an overview for here.

● Maintain a Healthy Weight
Losing extra pounds or preventing excess weight gain in the first place will greatly lessen the
burden your knees must bear thereby increasing their lifespan and requiring less effort on your
body’s ability to maintain their health.

● Strengthen Your Muscles and Increase Their Flexibility
Though your pain may not be directly in or caused by the muscles themselves, muscular
weakness is a leading cause of injuries, so augmenting their ability to stabilize the joint and
support your bodyweight will go a long way towards reducing the likelihood of injury and
hastening recovery if already damaged.

● Practice Proper Technique
Sometimes people experience joint pain because they repetitively use those joints in less than
optimal ways. Bad habits can be detrained and safer, more stable ways of using your knees can
replace those problem movement patterns.

Again, as common as knee pain is, it isn’t necessarily inevitable, even after sustaining an
injury, or at later years of age. Licensed Physical Therapy Doctors and Assistants are experts at
treating knee pain. Our doctors and assistants can guide your road to recovery whether your
knee weakness is caused by an accident, injury, or arthritis to ensure you minimize painful
recovery time and maximize rebuilding strength in your legs and integrity in your knee joints.
They’ll help you move without pain without having to resort to surgery or prescription drugs. If
you can’t bear weight on your knee, or feel as if your knee is unstable or gives out, or if you
can’t fully extend or flex your knee, you should certainly consult with our specialists. They can
also help you get your body to a healthy weight so that you’ll be able to sustain a knee-pain-free
life going forward.Call us at (941) 264-1414, email info@ptdoctorsfl.com, or send us a message
today.