Next week we'll be running a special joint seminar with Dr Dave Munro on the subject of anterior knee pain or 'Runners Knee', with that in mind I thought this would be a great time to give you some great Free and practical knowledge that you can use to look after your knees. Today It's all about how RICE can give relief not only to your knees but also a lot of other injuries.
The complex nature of the knee can at times be quite fragile, an intricate network of bones, muscles and ligaments in a high impact and high use area can mean for many of us it is quite susceptible to injury.
In nearly every physical activity it is subjected to a lot of stress from running, jumping aand lifting. Over time this stress can begin to act unfavourably on the joint causing injury and pain. When this happens it can be a frustrating time on the sidelines as you slowly work to recover.
Many people ignore the health of their knees at their own peril and push past 'niggles' the way they've always trained unknowingly causing more and more damage.
When an injury does occur and persists you should take action to see your trusted physio or health professional to get their advice and treatment but for immediate action keep RICE in mind.
It is a simple and trusted formula that should be a foundation for injury treatment and faster recovery
Rest from the activity that caused the injury as well as anything that may aggravate it. This doesn't mean you have an excuse to do nothing. You may just have to think outside the box a little.
Ice wrapping an ice pack in a wet cloth and regulary icing the joint for 20 minute on and 2hrs off will help reduce pain and swelling. Other methods of icing can be ise sprays, knee braces with built in ice packs. As well as cold showers/baths.
Compression wrapping the knee with a snug (not tight) bandage or brace can help reduce pain and swelling. When resting you can also combine methods by chucking your compression tights into the freezer for a couple of hours then putting them straight on. Like with cold baths this requires a few intial moments of courage.
Elevation When resting or sleeping raise your leg on some pillows or cushions to reduce swelling.
Combining physiotherapy with the right kind of training can help reduce your pain and return you to your preferred exercise quicker. A good physio will give you a program of stretching and strengthening exercises to follow and communicate it to you and (if you have one your trainer). So you can be pro-active in your treatment.
Proper warmup and cooldown should always form part of any physical activity, anti-inflammatory foods that are rich in omega 3-oils should form a core part of your nutrition and joint supplements that contain Chrondroitin,MSM and Glucosamine can also help.
Your health professional may also prescribe anti-inflammatories to give the healing process and additional kick-start.
If you want to learn more about injury prevention, management and recovery particularly for your knees, Then invest just an hour of your time and 5bucks out of your pocket to come along next thursday to the seminar I'm running with respected physio Dr Dave Munro.
You can find out more on this valuable event by clicking here or by going to http://bit.ly/AnteriorKneeBookings
Have a great weekend, Train Hard, Smart and Stay Strong.
Kind Regards,
Gaz
P.S If you know someone who has dodgy knees or might be interested in this article, feel free to send it on or better yet bring them along next week!
