Therapy and Knee Health with Knee Support Products

The knee is one of the largest joints of the human body and is prone to several types of injuries. It’s a hinged joint which comprehends a vast amount of cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and many other anatomical structures. However, knee injuries can affect the quality of your life and limit functionality. That is why physical therapy and rehabilitation of the knee is a very important thing.

Before getting into these complexities, you have to be aware of the basic knee structures. Through this, you will learn about the structures of the knee and preventive measures that can aid you. This context will work like a comprehensive knee guide along with its physical therapy and other supportive devices.


Knee Anatomy – Structures You Need to Know

The knee is indeed a complex structure but knowing its basic anatomical structures can help you. Here are some of the main knee structures that you need to know:

Muscles of Knee

  • Rectus Femoris – knee extension along with hip flexion
  • Vastus Lateralis – knee extension
  • Vastus Medialis – knee extension
  • Vastus Intermedius – knee extension
  • Hamstring (Bicep Femoris, Semimembranosus, Semitendinosus) – knee flexion and hip extension
  • Gastrocnemius – knee flexion, foot dorsiflexion, and knee extension
  • Popliteus – knee unlocking
  • Gracilis – knee flexion along with thigh adduction
  • Sartorius – knee and hip flexion, and external rotation of thigh
  • Tibialis Anterior – foot dorsiflexion
  • Iliotibial band – knee stabilisation

Ligaments of Knee

  • Anterior Cruciate Ligament – prevents anterior translation and controls rotational movements
  • Posterior Cruciate Ligament – prevents posterior translation and stabilises rotational movements
  • Medial Collateral Ligament – provides stability to the medial aspect of the knee
  • Lateral Collateral Ligament –stability to the outer part of the knee
  • Ligamentum Transversum – connect menisci’s anterior portions
  • Oblique Popliteal Ligament – prevent knee hyperextension
  • Arcuate Ligament Complex – overall joint stability
  • Patellar Ligament – connect patella with tibia

Tendons of Knee

  • Quadriceps tendon
  • Patellar tendon
  • Hamstring tendons
  • Popliteus tendon
  • Pes Anserinus tendons
  • Gastrocnemius tendon

Knee Injuries and Their Support Devices

After knowing the structures of the knee, it will be easier for you to learn about knee injuries and know what their preventions are. It is because you will now understand the structures to which you have to pay attention. Some of the prevalent knee injuries are given here:

  1. ACL Tear

It is one of the common knee injuries in which the ACL ligament is highly stretched or torn. This can occur due to sudden twisting or hyperextension.

Recommended Support Product

Hinged support brace of knee for cartilage and ligament injuries

  1. PCL Tear

The tear of the Posterior Cruciate Ligament is a painful condition usually from a force by which the tibia is pushed backwards.

Recommended Support Product

Leg and knee brace for ligament injuries and tears

  1. MCL Tear

It is located in the inner part of the knee. In this condition, the MCL is torn because of the blow to the outer part of the knee or severe twisting.

Recommended Support Product

Orthopaedic brace for discomfort management and knee support

  1. LCL Sprain

In this condition, the C-shaped structure of the knee known as menisci gets affected. This is because of hyperflexion of the knee.

Recommended Support Product

Neoprene knee support for sprain management and athletic activities

  1. Patellar Tendonitis

It is also known as a jumpers’ knee and is an overuse injury. In this condition, the patellar tendon inflamed and cause pain in the knee.

Recommended Support Product

Padded support brace knee for tendonitis

  1. Iliotibial Band Syndrome

ITB syndrome is also a common knee injury. In this condition, the IT band gets inflamed and irritates the knee. This mostly occurs in runners.

Recommended Support Product

Adjustable non-slip knee brace with extra compression

  1. Chondromalacia Patella

The damage and softening of the cartilage of the patella which leads to severe knee pain is termed as Chondromalacia Patella. It is also famous for the name Runner’s Knee.

Recommended Support Product

Double strap patella knee support for joint pain relief.

  1. Knee Bursitis

The fluid-filled sacs around the knee are called bursae. The inflammation of these bursae due to overuse is called knee bursitis.

Recommended Support Product

Patella knee support strap for pain relief.

Physical Therapy for Knee Injuries

In order to keep the knees stronger and healthier, there are the following simple yet effective exercises which you can add to your daily routine:

  • Straight Leg Raise

It helps in toning the quadriceps and escalates balance and stability.

  • Gluteal Bridges

It helps in improved patellar tracking, knee stability, and quadricep activation.

  • Wall Squats

It helps in gaining functional leg strength, improves knee joint function, and reduces pain in the knee.

  • Step-Ups

It helps in better muscular endurance and increases leg strength.

  • Lateral Walks

It helps with improved leg-side movements, increasing hip mobility, and enhancing hip abduction.

  • Stretching

Stretching helps in improving flexibility, joint mobility, stretching, reduction in knee pain, and injury prevention.

  • Hamstring Curls

It is effective for hamstring strengthening, knee joint stability, improved athletic performance, and balanced muscle development.

  • Leg Presses

It aids in quad strengthening, balance muscle development, joint stability, and reduction in knee pain.

Conclusion

As discussed, knee injuries are common issues in everyone’s life. This is not only discomforting but also affects the functionality and activity of daily living of a person. For this reason, it is important to take precautionary measures such as wearing support products. The knee anatomy is also discussed above so you can understand the complexities of the knee to a better extent.

The common knee injuries along with the recommended support products are also described above. You can also do physical therapy exercises such as leg presses, hamstring curls, and others in your daily life to optimise knee health.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Happy Feet, Healthy Pregnancy – Harness Power of Compression Socks

Image
A remarkable and exciting journey of pregnancy also results in numerous discomforting problems. One of the common things to happen is swollen feet and legs. New mothers adapt to rapid changes in their body and the body is working tirelessly to support the baby. The discomfort, swelling, pain, and aches can impact the overall well-being of a mother in a bad way. This is where you can trust the game-changer known as compression socks. In this article, we aim to explore the challenges of pregnancy and what profitable changes compression socks can make for mothers. So, let's leverage the power of compression socks so you can have happy and healthy feet during pregnancy. Compression Socks and Its Types Compression socks are one of the simple and effective ways to boost circulation in the legs and feet. With improved circulation, you can effectively remove swelling from your legs and feet and reduce risks of deep vein thrombosis. There are various types of compression socks, and you ...
Read more

Common Causes of Wrist Sprain and Its Possible Treatments

Image
Wrist sprain: Overview A wrist sprain is an injury to the wrist ligaments. The injury usually happens when the ligaments are stretched or torn out. Ligaments are the bands of tough tissues that help join the bones at the joints. Several reasons can cause wrist sprains. For example, falling on your outstretched hand is one of the most common causes of wrist sprain. As well as this, twisting or bending your wrists suddenly may also cause ligaments to damage or stretched, resulting in a wrist sprain. Here in this article, we are going to discuss the common types, causes, and signs of wrist sprains. As well as this, we also come up with possible treatment plans, suggested by experts, for a sprained wrist. In the end, our discussion will be concluded with the possible preventive measures to avoid the chances of wrist sprains and other commonly found wrist injuries . So, let’s begin our discussion here;  Types of wrist sprains Based on the intensity of the damage or injury, the foll...
Read more

What are Common Wrist Injuries and How to Manage Them?

Wrist injuries: Overview Wrist injuries are common in people involved in high-contact sports and have repetitive use of their wrists and hands at their occupations. As well as this, falling on an outstretched hand or arm may also cause wrist injuries, like wrist sprains. This article is a detailed account of the most common wrist injuries found in sportspeople and other occupations. As well as this, you can find the possible treatment plans to help deal with wrist problems. The article is concluded with the possible preventive measures to avoid the chances of wrist injuries. These preventive measures are suggested by experts, helping people get a safe sports and occupation experience. So, let’s begin our discussion here.
Read more