| Knee injuries are the most common sports injury seen | | | | having a growth spurt. A typical symptom is pain just |
| in Britain today. | | | | below the front of the kneecap on the tibia, which gets |
| In running alone, 60% of all runners are injured in an | | | | worse with activity. There is sometimes a bump |
| average year and about one third of these sports | | | | below the knee joint that is painful to touch. Osgood |
| injuries affect the knee. | | | | Schlatter Disease is especially common in boys who |
| Knee injuries are also the most common sports injuries | | | | play sports involving running, kicking, or jumping, all of |
| sustained by school children, as they often occur during | | | | which put strain on the quadriceps muscles. |
| football, hockey and rugby. | | | | The arterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the most |
| Yet far too little is known by the general public about | | | | common knee ligament to be damaged in a sports |
| the advantages of knee support or the other simple | | | | injury, usually by a sudden twist or landing badly after a |
| steps that can be taken to help knee injury prevention. | | | | jump. Interestingly, women athletes are eight times |
| The knee is the largest joint in the body, made up of | | | | more likely to suffer from damage to the arterior |
| bones, cartilage, muscles, tendons and ligaments. A | | | | cruciate ligament than men. |
| knee sports injury can involve any of these. | | | | Nobody is immune from knee injuries, with many |
| It can be hard to understand knee injuries and some of | | | | professional footballers like Ruud Van Nistelrooy and |
| the complicated terms used do not make this any | | | | Paul Gascoigne being well known for their knee injuries. |
| easier for the layperson. | | | | For many knee injuries, it is advised to rest the knee |
| You may have heard of knee ‘overuse’ for | | | | and apply compression. In these cases, a knee brace |
| example. Well, although it is sometimes called an | | | | can help. In the very worst cases, surgery may be |
| ‘overuse’ injury, the real name of the condition is | | | | necessary. |
| iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS). This is one of the | | | | As knee injuries are so painful and so common, |
| most common knee injuries. It is actually caused by a | | | | prevention is always better than cure. When playing |
| lack of strength and flexibility rather than anything than | | | | sport, it is a good idea to wear protective equipment, |
| can accurately be described as overuse. In fact, it can | | | | such as kneepads and shin guards. Knee support |
| be brought on in runners even if they are only running | | | | including knee straps and knee braces can also help |
| around 5 miles, which can hardly be seen as overuse. | | | | prevent injury and protect your knee if you have |
| There are a number of other common knee injuries. | | | | injured it previously. |
| First, there is a knee sprain which means you have | | | | It is also vital to make sure you always warm up and |
| stretched or torn a ligament. Then there are strains, | | | | cool down and that your training programme is |
| which mean you have torn a muscle or tendon. | | | | increased gradually, so that you do not put your knee |
| Tendinitis happens when a tendon gets inflamed. | | | | under undue strain. |
| Damage to the menisci is a really common sports | | | | It is well worth trying weightlifting to strengthen your |
| injury, especially in activities where a side to side | | | | muscles and yoga or stretching to improve flexibility, as |
| movement or a sudden change in speed can cause | | | | this will cut down the risk of sports injury. And, of |
| them to tear. | | | | course, if your sport involves jumping, do make sure |
| And, of course, sometimes there can be cartilage | | | | you bend your knees when you land. |
| injuries, where a small piece of bone or cartilage | | | | Increasing awareness about knee injuries, knee |
| breaks off, causing long term knee pain. | | | | support and sports first aid can help you stay fit, so is |
| Osgood Schlatter Disease is particularly common in | | | | a vital ingredient to becoming a successful athlete. |
| teenagers aged between 10-15, especially if they are | | | | |