strengthening your knees

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Shana Moore
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strengthening your knees

Post by Shana Moore »

I've recently been reading up on knee injuries in women. Several studies show that women who participate in jumping and pivoting sports are more likely to rupture a knee-stabilizing ligament than men (the ACL or anteriior cruciate ligament). The range of "more likely" ranges from 4-11x, depending on the study and article/resource you read.

Some suggest this is partially related to a woman's wider pelvis. Others theorize that hormone differences and the fluctuation caused by menstruation make the ACL looser in females than males, thus more prone to injury. A common theory is that women do not train to properly strengthen the legs, particularly the muscles around the knee. Research at the Cincinnati Sports Medicine Research and Education Foundation noted muscle imbalance between quads and hamstrings as a significant factor.

An interesting article on Bodybuilding.com (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/peak43.htm) comments that the ACL and PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) cross eachother when the "tibia is rotated in an internal direction (counterclockwise for the right knee, clockwise for the left knee)"...hmmm...Sanchin stance anyone?

This same article shows the training used in the Cincinnati research, which had some significant improvements in reducing injury rates among female athletes. It also suggests some additional exercises to strengthing the muscles around the knee, particularly the hamstrings.

I, personally, also think the hip flexors need to be strengthened and stretched properly to help assist in balancing the muscles around the knee.

So, I would encourage folks to check out the article above and comment on the exercises provided. I would also like to hear what other people do to strengthen the leg muscles, hip flexors, and knee joints.

This is a particularly important topic for women, because of our anatomy, but anyone can benefit from strengthening these muscles. So much of what we do comes from our core, right?
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Shana
hoshin
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Location: worcester, ma

Post by hoshin »

a close female friend of mine has injured all of the above in both legs during her time in uechi. surgery and leg braces have helped but her legs will never be the same. i have seen the pain in her face during the intial injurys and the emotional roller coaster as the years have past due to this. i really sugest if your a female reading about this, dont take it lightly and think it cant happen to you. you would be surprised at how fragile the knees can be.
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Bill Glasheen
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Location: Richmond, VA --- Louisville, KY

Post by Bill Glasheen »

Shana

I've researched this knee issue quite a bit, and in fact brought it up on these forums. It's also worth noting that I've taught a lot of women through the years (over 1000), and haven't had 1 woman get an ACL tear under my tutelage.

All the causes you listed above aren't really the main issue. The problem lies in some women not being able to keep the knee in line with the toes when jumping, squatting, and pivoting. That can be from bad mechanics, or an inability to maintain proper alignment from poor conditioning.

And for what it's worth... proper karate means pointing the knees in the direction of the toes. That includes Sanchin dachi, and every other stance in our system. I'm a real stickler on this, and for good reason.

This ACL tear prevention program I'm quoting below pretty much confirms this.

- Bill
ACL Injury Prevention Program Overview

The ACL Injury Prevention Program is a highly specific 15-minute training session that replaces the traditional warm-up. It was developed by a team of physicians, physical therapists, athletic trainers and coaches. The program goal is to teach players strategies to avoid injury by:

1. Avoiding vulnerable positions
2. Increasing flexibility
3. Increasing strength
4. Including plyometric exercises in training
5. Increasing proprioception

Optimally the program should be performed at least 2-3 times per week during the season.

This program consists of a warm-up, stretching, strengthening, plyometrics, and sport specific agility training. It is important to use proper technique during jumping moves (jump straight up and down jumps without excessive side-to-side movement), and aim for soft landings.
- About.com:Sports Medicine
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Shana Moore
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Location: Virginia

Post by Shana Moore »

Bill Glasheen wrote: All the causes you listed above aren't really the main issue. The problem lies in some women not being able to keep the knee in line with the toes when jumping, squatting, and pivoting. That can be from bad mechanics, or an inability to maintain proper alignment from poor conditioning.
Are some of the causes I listed WHY women tend toward poor mechanics/conditioning?...no matter, let's not quibble over details and talk more about proper training...like Hoshin says the knees should not be taken lightly. It looks like the training regimen on the article quoted does several of the things you mention. If you have time, I'd love to get your opinion on some of those training moves.

I believe some of my joints are still loose from pregnancy, because I've noticed more knee pain than usual after doing my squats and such. I have an appointment with one of the trainers to work on core and knee recovery; she specializes in postnatal issues, so that should help.

Still, I just feel that we do a lot of jumping and pivoting, and that the women who train could be more prone to knee injuries, and I'm just interested in hearing what others do and think about the best way to train and strengthen those areas to prevent injury.
Bill Glasheen wrote:And for what it's worth... proper karate means pointing the knees in the direction of the toes. That includes Sanchin dachi, and every other stance in our system. I'm a real stickler on this, and for good reason.
I think I was simply picturing the leg rotation when I read that, and not the full alignment picture (bad shana...bad)

Thanks for pointing this out!

Keep up the comments! Thank you!
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Shana
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