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A good knee is normally not valued or appreciated until it gives way or injured. The trick is to ensure proper care of the knee joints to avoid a painful cure later and to know more visit http://for-knees.com/.

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Ways to protect knee joints

• Eat healthy

Proper nourishment to the body along with a planned balanced diet will ensure supply of nutrients to the bones. This keeps the bones strong and healthy and increases the ability to stand up for themselves. The knee joints are crucial to the mobility of the individual. If they give way, it is unlikely for the person to be able to walk without support or surgery.

• Exercise well

There is a reason athletes and professionals hire personal trainers and not exercise on a whim. Any routine over done or gone wrong can have dire consequences on the different joints of the body, especially the knee joint. Marathon runners are the most prone to knee injuries. Taking appropriate breaks and running with ample rest is crucial to long distance runners.

• Stretch

It is important to loosen up the body with stretches. Keep moving around during the day. Stiffness in the knee joints is common for those who sit for long stretches of time. This stiffness will lead to pain and eventually wear and tear. Stretch daily irrespective of whether you exercise that day or not.

Knee replacement

Knee replacement is necessary when the injury cannot self-heal. Knee replacement is a drastic measure that is taken when all other methods have failed. The following are good examples where there is no other choice but a replacement surgery

• When the day to day activities have taken a big hit

The pain, in this case, is disruptive enough to call for a surgery. Activities such as climbing the stairs or even sitting down and rising can become incredibly painful. Painkillers are effective only up to a certain point. The side effects of taking too many drugs are severe enough to demand a replacement surgery.

• Bone on bone arthritis

X-rays are a must before a knee surgery is recommended. When there is bone touching bone, the resulting pain is excruciating. The damage to the bone as a result of the rubbing is also extreme. The thinning of the cartilage is not reason enough to warrant a knee replacement.

• Instability

Arthritis in the knee is very painful. An advanced case can lead to instability of the knee. It is considered to be substantial when they are in a bent position. No amount of steroids or ice pack would help in this scenario.

There are some risks associated with knee replacement surgeries. It is vital to be aware of them before signing the dotted line. A knee replacement procedure is elective in nature and only the concerned individual can make the call. Unstable knees are probably the only exception to this scenario.

• Infection

This is common for most surgeries and not just knee replacement. Infection in the post knee replacement surgery can disrupt the person’s mobility, and therefore his life. The treatment of this infection involves removal of the complete knee replacement, installing antibiotic knee replacement for a short term period of three months or so and a third surgery to replace it with a permanent knee. That is two surgeries too many.

• Stiffness

Patients who have undergone knee replacement surgeries tend to avoid walking immediately after the surgery. This could be a bad idea. Rehab and therapy is a must after this surgery.

• Instability

Some patients develop instability in the knees after the surgery. This is rare but happens. Therapy and regular exercise are necessary.

• Nerve damage

This happens in very unfortunate circumstances. Damage to the artery or the nerve during surgery could mean permanent loss of the leg.

Post surgery care is very important to the health of the knee joint. Continue the prescribed drugs and anti-inflammatory medicines. Use the walking aid but try to reduce dependency on it. Keep the exercises going and prevent possible stiffness. It normally takes up to three months for the patient to return to normal routine activities. Maximum strength and endurance are attained within a year. It is important not to push the knee beyond its limits.