About 20 million Germans suffer from knee problems. Just a few years ago, there was no hesitation and surgery was often performed directly. Today, medicine knows that knee problems can be alleviated more effectively and much more gently for the body through sensibly dosed exercise. Here you can find out how the cross trainer can be used to treat knee pain.
Structure of the knee
Athletes in particular know it - the dreaded "twinge" in the knee after an intensive workout. Especially in the beginning, knee problems occur only sporadically and are often even ignored. Until the acute, minor problems turn into real, persistent pain. The knee joint is the largest joint in the human body. The bony body of the joint is formed by the femur, the tibia and the kneecap. The meniscus acts as a shock absorber between the bones, and the articular cartilage forms another protective layer, which is attacked by osteoarthritis and leads to pain. The knee joint is enclosed by its two-layer joint capsule. In the space between these layers in front of the joint is a fatty body. When the knee is bent, it is compressed by the ligament under the kneecap and bulges out to the side. Numerous tendons run across the knee joint. To prevent damage to these tendons, the knee joint has bursae above, in front of and below the knee joint.
Avoiding mistakes with the cross trainer
Knee pain - exercise is good for you
The doctor's recommendation for knee pain these days is to move as much as possible! Sport and exercise can have a positive influence on an arthrosis process in various ways. However, it is important to ensure that the knee joint is moved as gently as possible, stressful sports such as jogging or various ball sports should be avoided. The cartilage is not supplied by blood vessels. The cartilage cells are supplied by the synovial fluid surrounding the joint. Through movement, the nutrients are literally worked into the cartilage - too little movement can therefore lead to the cartilage cells being undersupplied, thus osteoarthritis can even be accelerated. Injections of painkillers and the lubricant hyaluronic acid are often administered directly into the joint for the initial relief of knee pain. In the long term, swinging knee movements that are gentle on the joints also stimulate the natural replenishment of synovial fluid.
Training with the crosstrainer that is easy on the knee joint
With the cross trainer a particularly joint-gentle endurance training is possible. The movement on the cardio machine is guided, the movement is executed in the form of an ellipse. In this way, the knee experiences continuous flexion and extension, which practically corresponds to the movement during normal walking and running, but does not exert any impact load on the knee. In contrast to other devices, incorrect loading of the knees with the crosstrainer is practically impossible. Overextension or excessive bending practically never occurs during training with the crosstrainer.
Crosstrainer after knee surgery
In consultation with the attending physician, it is possible to build up muscles with the crosstrainer after a knee operation, if the full load is allowed again. The feet are fixed on the crosstrainer, which minimizes evasive movements. After starting rehabilitation training with a bicycle ergometer, the crosstrainer is therefore a good way to continue building up muscles and regaining mobility in the knee joints. When training, pay attention to the position of the feet, they should stand straight on the pedals to avoid an oblique load on the knee and, above all, to train the desired, straight bending and stretching movement . During rehabilitation after knee joint surgery, one thing above all is important: a lot of patience. The healing process takes a long time, only after 6 months at the earliest can the knee joint be loaded again without restrictions after professional rehabilitation therapy.
Conclusion
Training with the crosstrainer is very helpful for knee pain caused by arthrosis or a lack of synovial fluid. The gentle, continuous movement of the joint helps to better supply the cartilage with nutrients and naturally stimulates the formation of synovial fluid. After knee surgery, exercising with a cross trainer can help build up the supportive muscles around the knee joint, and the gentle exercise under medical and physical therapy guidance is important and useful during rehab.
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Editors fitnessmarkt.de (DG)
Bildnachweis: #189368013--junce11-AdobeStock
Published on: 30 July 2019