Summer is the perfect time to get outside, enjoy the sunshine, and participate in your favorite outdoor activities. However, this peak activity season also brings a significant rise in joint injuries, particularly in the knees.
If you played a lot of sports this summer, you might be dealing with knee pain now.
At Kristofer J. Jones, MD, we help athletes of all levels stay safe on the field and court. Board-certified orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kristofer J. Jones, MD, provides expert care for sports-related musculoskeletal injuries at our two offices in Los Angeles, California.
Whether you need advanced sports medicine care or simple prevention strategies, we're here to support your active lifestyle.
Warm weather often inspires us to push our physical limits, but our joints aren't always prepared for the sudden demand.
Knee injuries are common during these active months, especially when participating in high-impact activities or sports that involve a lot of change of direction.
For instance, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries — tears in one of the major ligaments in your knee — affect more than 200,000 Americans every year, according to the National Institutes of Health.
These injuries often require specialized ACL reconstruction to restore stability and function to the joint.
Certain athletes face even higher risks during competitive play. Research published in Science and Medicine in Football shows that female soccer players experience a knee injury rate 1.38 times higher than male players, including a 3.1 times higher risk for ACL tears.
When trying to prevent injuries, many athletes reach for supportive gear. However, there's a common misconception about how much protection these retail products actually provide.
Many people believe that wearing a simple knee brace will shield their joint from an ACL injury or prevent them from getting hurt again.
Unfortunately, clinical evidence from the Mayo Clinic shows that knee braces don't actually prevent these sports injuries. Instead of relying on a brace, you must focus on building the physical strength and stability that naturally protects your joints.
Preventing knee injuries requires a proactive approach to how you train and move. By focusing on the right exercises, you can significantly lower your risk of a painful joint injury.
A great place to start is with a joint-by-joint training approach. Research indicates that focusing on core stability and hip mobility reduces inward knee collapse when you land from a jump.
Keeping your knees aligned during sports movements is one of the best ways to avoid ligament tears.
If you're recovering from a previous injury, make sure you're fully healed before jumping back into the game. Assessments with our team help identify areas of concern, which lowers your overall risk of reinjury.
Did you injure your knee during the summer? Please contact our office to schedule a consultation with Dr. Jones today.
