Knee injuries are one of the most common complaints people report. You can injure your knee by over-exercising, not exercising enough, or by accident. Depending on the type of injury, recovering from a knee injury can be a long and painful process.
Luckily changes in your exercise routine and diet can speed up recovery. First, we'll go over the most common knee injuries and then the most effective recovery methods.
Most Common Knee Injuries
According to the Mayo Clinic, the most common knee injuries include:
You might sometimes feel knee pain without having any of these conditions. That’s because knee pain can also be caused by arthritis, overuse, overloading, or other physical problems.
How Exercise and Diet Can Help You Heal from Knee Pain
Knee pain can make you feel stifled and powerless, especially when it causes you to hit “pause” on your ordinarily active lifestyle.
However, exercising and following a healthy diet can be instrumental in helping your body heal. Best of all, these two things are entirely within your control.
The first thing you need to do is to take a break from your routine. This means that you should not be doing exercises that p the knee.
We’ll introduce a few low-impact ways to stay active while not stressing your knee further. It is important to remember that these may not be the best exercise for everyone. If you are recovering from surgery, consult your doctor before starting an exercise routine.
- Don’t underestimate the power of walking
Once you can comfortably move around, keep moving as much as possible, even if it's just walking around the house or yard.
- Practice balance exercises
Balance exercises are a great way to recover from knee injuries because they help improve the knee joint's stability. This reduces the risk of injury and improves recovery time. Strong Tek’s balance boards can increase the effectiveness of balance exercises.
- Try gentle yoga
Gentle yoga is one of the best ways to heal from a knee injury. It is suitable for any age group and people with any fitness level. It is a mild form of traditional yoga that will not put too much pressure on your knee. Yoga can help stretch and strengthen your muscles and improve flexibility and balance.
Use a yoga foam pad under your knees for extra comfort. Add yoga foam wedge blocks to keep your wrists and hands comfortable as you move and stretch.
- Know which foods to avoid
You should avoid some foods when recovering from a knee injury. This is because of the swelling and inflammation that they can cause in the body.
The most common foods to avoid:
- Processed meats
- Dairy products
- Sugar and refined grains
- Alcohol
- Eat foods that can aid the healing process
Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables to help with knee injury recovery. These foods have antioxidants that can help the body repair itself. They also have vitamins and minerals to help heal the body after an injury. Ask your doctor if you should add any supplements as your body heals.
You should also consume more protein than usual when recovering from a knee injury. This helps the muscles grow back stronger and faster after the injury, making it easier to get back on your feet sooner.
The Road to Health
When recovering from knee injuries, avoid weight-bearing exercises and concentrate on resting. Gentle movement that focuses on strengthening and stretching your muscles will speed up your recovery and reduce your chances of injury. For diet, focus on foods that reduce inflammation and skip the ones that increase it.
Not all knee injuries are created equal. Some require surgery, while others respond well to RICE. Only a medical professional can know for sure, so consult your doctor if you’re experiencing pain in your knee.
Shop our store to find products to help you stay active as you recover from your knee injury safely.