Orthopedic Injury Preventative Care
A better understanding of the musculoskeletal and physiological differences between the male and female bodies predisposing women, particularly women athletes, to certain injuries and conditions helps sports medicine physicians formulate not only orthopedic injury treatment plans but also preventative care programs tailored specifically to the active woman.
While athletic trainers can help address the best balanced strength training needs for specific sports and activities, there are many things the everyday woman can do to better prepare for sports, hobbies, everyday activities and...the biggest challenge of all...longevity in quality of active life.
Strength and Cardio Training for Muscle and Bone
One of the key things a woman can do in establishing a body strong enough to successfully face all that her life and career present is a balanced strength training and cardiovascular (cardio) program. The two work in tandem to burn calories, build lung and heart strength and strengthen muscles - that both burn calories more efficiently and preserve bone density. This should be not only a program an active or athletic woman builds into her life but also one for any woman wanting to achieve the highest quality of life possible…as long as possible.
The "Q-Angle" Factor in ACL Injuries
UUnderstanding vulnerabilities that may exist helps individuals formulate a plan for safe and optimal results. For women involved in running and twisting activities that place stress on the knees, a strength training program designed to equally strengthen supporting muscles around the knee joint, such as the quadriceps (largest muscle in the body) and the hamstring muscles, is key. These muscles have the potential to serve as a type of shock absorber cushioning the impact sustained by the load bearing knee joint.
This is particularly important for women, who are more likely to sustain knee injuries than men as a result of the "Q-Angle" and estrogen production. The "Q-Angle," or quadriceps angle, refers in part to the angle of the quadriceps in relation to hip width. It is the angle at which the muscles in the thigh and the lower leg intersect. Women have a higher Q-angle than men, which creates more stress over the knee. In more severe cases, it can create a knock-kneed appearance. A normal Q-angle in women is 17 to 18 degrees compared to the 13 to 14 degrees in men.
Strengthening supporting muscles, maintaining a healthy weight and eating nutritious, natural foods conducive to bone strength and joint health, together work to reduce the risk of a knee injury such as an ACL injury.
Flexibility and Balance Training
Often underestimated, stretching exercises are extremely effective in preventing injury in the active and inactive alike. Both flexibility and balance training offered in yoga and pilates can be instrumental in keeping muscle, which is often compressed following workouts, long and limber - improving agility and flexibility.
Injury often occurs when a woman loses her balance or makes an awkward turn or twist. Stretching and balancing exercises strengthen muscles in a different way and improve overall flexibility and footing whether on a basketball court or walking trail.
Healthy Weight
As a load bearing joint, the amount of weight the knee joint sustains over the course of their life directly impacts their longevity as much, if not more so, than the types of activities to which they are subjected. Excess weight is the single most common reason for many of the knee injuries and conditions reported in the United States. Reducing the weight knee joints must support will dramatically reduce the risk of damage and the degenerative affects of osteoarthritis.
Low impact activities such as swimming and elliptical training will help reduce weight and strengthen all muscle groups without stress or harsh impact to the knee. And walking is a less invasive, load bearing activity that helps strengthen bone and muscle while burning calories for orthopedic health.
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