What Are Knees
Let us understand the structure of the knees. The knee is the confluence of three bones. These are your shinbone (also called the Tibia), your thighbone (called the Tibia), and your kneecap (clinically called the Patella). Between your Tibia and the thighbone Tibia are two pads of cartilage. They are called a meniscus, each and they act as buffers between you bones when you are static and as shock absorbers when you move. All 3 bones are strapped in place by 2 sets of ligaments. They are called the cruciates and the collaterals. While the collaterals run along the outside of your kneecap, the cruciates interweave under your kneecap. The substantial muscles of your legs help these ligaments keep your bones well aligned.
Believe it or not, the mechanics of your knees are such that they can undertake rigorous activities. In fact, your whole body just isn’t built to lead a sedentary life, but most people are doing just so. The knees are no exception. Statistics reveal that each year, almost 11 million Americans have knee complaints, mainly starting with pain. Further, records say that today in America the knees are more operated upon than on any other part of the human anatomy.
Yoga is a great way to help your knees, particularly those who are recovering from wounded or injured, ligaments. Yoga helps to increases the steadiness of the large muscles of the legs. Once your inner and outer quadriceps become tough and sturdy, they are in a position to wield equal pressure on your ligaments. This, in a big way, helps keep kneecaps aligned.
Yogic Postures For Knees
1. Never hyper extend. This happens when you joints are too mobile and you flex them too far back. In Yoga poses like Trikonasana (Triangle Pose) and Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend) your knees often tend to hyper extend because your legs are stretched straight out. This tends to put an unwarranted tension on your knee ligaments. Even though against the rules of Yoga, bend your knees slightly in all standing postures. Also remember to distribute your weight on both feet. In sitting forward bending poses, keep a towel or rolled up mat under your knees.
2. Begin with the feet. The key to developing strength evenly in your knee ligaments is through right alignment through your feet. Your kneecaps will be able to glide up and down with naturally and ease only if your cartilage isn’t worn down and all your knee ligaments are equally strong. Practice separating the toes and pushing strongly through all the points of your feet. Do this in all standing postures. Remember, the moment your feet are unaligned, your knees will be ill-at-ease.
3. Always see that your knees are aligned with each other. Especially when doing deep knee bends, like Parsvakonasana (Side Angle Pose), and Virabhadrasana II (Warrior Pose II) pay careful attention to knee alignment.
4. Always maintain awareness in your feet, press them down ever so actively and rise up from the arches of your feet. Once your arches drop, your knees start to fall inside your big toe, and you are bound to have a lot of knee problems.
5. Don’t hesitate to use props, as and when necessary, particularly in sitting poses like Virasana (Hero Pose). Try and raise your seat with a rolled-up Yoga mat. In Balasana (Child’s Pose) or Marichyasana III (Sage Marichi Pose III) every time you bend your knees deeply bent, relieve the pressure by placing a towel into the pit of your knee before you bend the joint.
These tips are bound to help you a great deal to improve the health of your knees.
