Love for the Joints After a Rad Winter

Winter has been winding down in most places, and many might know this scenario. You go out for that first bike on the first warm day and your knees crackle like rice crispies. Age is not the culprit. It’s just plain inflammation from all the use your joints have been getting from all the rad riding days of the last few months.

Joints are important if you want to keep the ride continuing. Knees in particular are complicated and have many parts. You don’t have to abuse them, love them and they will love you back! There are techniques that are cheap and easy, to help ankles to the neck bones as you transition from snow to concrete. Here are some.

Supplements

Glucosamine and MSM; these are the two most popular supplements to take for your hinges. They are chemicals that are found in the articular cartilage that covers the ends of your joints, (deterioration of this cartilage is the cause of Osteoarthritis). The theory is that taking these compounds in pill form, digesting them, will bring them to your cartilage.

Experts are torn as to whether or not this works. Some studies show little results, some folks swear by it. It depends on many factors like body type and so on, it can’t hurt to try. Also if you’re a vegan or vegetarian or something like that something to consider is the source of Glucosamine is often (not always) the shell of prawns or another animals cartilage. Shop wisely.

On the other hand there is a supplement that is a bit easier to swallow. * Bromelain is an enzyme in pineapples. It has anti-inflammatory and pain killing effects. So maybe reach for a Pina Colada next time your icing your knees! Which brings me to the next point…

Hydrotherapy

How well a body part heals depends on its blood flow. The problem with ligaments and cartilage is that they almost have none. However; therapists discovered centuries ago how to get the flow to these spots.

Contrast Bathing, works by alternating hot and cold to whatever body part needs the attention.               It can be done on the cheap with ice and something as simple as a hot towel or you can drop the cash on a hot/cold compress from the pharmacy. These things are like gold and are amazing on sore muscles during the season. The treatment goes as follows:

Heat for 3 minutes, cold for 30 seconds repeat for 30 minutes.

This can increase the blood flow to ligaments by 95%!

Chiropractor

Just like that song you sang when you were a kid, the hip bone is connected to the thigh bone … and so on. It’s true the head of the femur sits like a ball on a socket in your hip. If the hips are crooked they will take the femur with it. Since the end of the femur is the top of your knee joint this could cause pressure to build up on one part of the knee.

A Chiropractor’s job is to straighten you out, so this could save a knee you thought was doomed.

 

Just a little bit could go a long way, so take care and shred until your 60!

 

 

*Info from http://education.athletesperformance.com