The Covid-19 pandemic, which has been going on for more than a year and a half, caused a great restriction of our physical movements, and hit our knees, which took all the weight of our bodies. Stating that important and common problems occur in the knee joints, which play an important role in standing, going up and down stairs and hills, sitting and squatting, Acıbadem Kozyatağı Hospital Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Specialist Prof. Dr. Halil Koyuncu said, “We see that knee complaints have increased greatly in the pandemic. As the shape of the knee joints deteriorated, muscles, tendons and ligaments began to shorten, the force of contraction of the muscles decreased and the muscles that did not work enough became thinner. While the cartilages, the most important structure of the joint, started to degenerate early, the existing disorder accelerated. The degree of calcification, which we call wear or abrasion, has increased. We often encounter problems such as pain in the knees, stiffness, noise in the knee joint and sudden locking.” Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Specialist Prof. Dr. Halil Koyuncu explained 7 simple but effective methods to strengthen muscles, bones and joints, which are the structures that make up the knee, and made important warnings and suggestions.
Increase the strength of the muscles
Don't forget to train your muscles. Simple exercises will be useful for this. E.g; Doing squats plays an important role in strengthening the knee muscles. 2-3 times a day; Squat and get up 5 to 10 times. Cycling, walking without difficulty on the treadmill or exercises with various tools will also help strengthen the muscles of your knees and reduce your complaints.
Do not keep the knees bent all the time
Do not keep the knees bent all the time while sitting. Do not even cross your legs, put a booster stool under your feet to lengthen them. These positions cause wear on the knee joint cartilage. Since the cartilage of the knee joint does not have a nerve, vascular and lymphatic structure, it is possible to nourish and obtain the necessary products only by the work of the muscles. You can prevent deformity by sitting with your legs stretched forward, and you can eliminate the risk of shortening in muscles and tendons.
Stretch the knee muscles
Avoid inactivity. Staying still, especially by saying 'my knees hurt', is one of the biggest mistakes. Because inactivity is the biggest enemy of knee muscles. You can also do the necessary exercises while working at a desk to strengthen your muscles. Extend your legs forward and tighten and then relax your knee muscles. The more you do this exercise during the day, the more beneficial it is. Each contraction and stretch should be between 5-10 seconds.
Walk home for 15 minutes every two hours
Do not sit in front of the computer for long hours. It is absolutely necessary to get away from the desk every two hours. Even if you can't go out, don't forget to walk for 15 minutes during the day in your environment.
Drink plenty of water
Make it a habit to drink two liters of water a day. 80 percent of cartilage is water. The remainder contains both protein, carbohydrates and minerals. If the diet is impaired and these essential substances cannot be taken, in addition to the basic treatment, glycoside can be obtained in the form of food supplements.zamIt would be correct to give in, chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic acid and other substances. All these should be given by physician recommendations and experts.
Eat a bowl of yogurt every day
Eating healthy is also very important in terms of strong knees, especially bones. It is necessary to take foods rich in calcium and vitamin D, and if these are not enough, it is necessary to supplement them with drugs on the recommendation of the physician. Take care to consume 1 bowl of yogurt every day.
Take advantage of the sun
Vitamin D is extremely important for strong bones and knee health. For this reason, take advantage of the sun for 15-25 minutes every day during the hours when the sun's rays are steep. Thus, vitamin D production is ensured.
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