The bones and joints in your body suffer through a lot of wear and tear, that’s their job! Still, there are some things you should be doing in order to reduce your susceptibility to injury. Seeing your chiropractor in Los Angeles, California is one way you can take care of your bones and joints, but there are more things to be aware of to keep you healthy and pain-free. Here are some ways you can ruin your knees that you may not be aware of! Disregarding Knee Pain It’s perfectly normal to feel a twinge of pain every now and again, but if you’re ignoring the pain in your knees and it is starting to limit your daily activities then it’s time to see your west Los Angeles chiropractor! Weight If you are overweight and stay that way, it can be very hard on your knees. For every pound of body weight feels like five pounds on your knees. So, even an extra 10 pounds can put a lot of undue pressure on your knees and that will eventually lead to arthritis. If you’re experiencing knee pain and need to shed a few pounds, then talk to your west Los Angeles chiropractor to see what exercises will work to help you lose the extra weight and will also be kind to your knees. Ignoring Doctor’s Orders If you have a knee injury it can be difficult to let yourself heal with rest and rehab, but it’s really important that you give your body the time it needs to heal completely. If you do too much too soon you risk injuring it even worse than before, so it’s worth the time to heal and strengthen your knee properly. Mistreat The ACL Oh, that anterior cruciate ligament – it’s pretty crucial. It’s also one of the most injured ligaments in the knees and the reason behind about 150,000 knee injuries a year. If you are active it’s important to know how to train correctly so that you don’t injure this ligament. Overdoing It One of the most important things to keep in mind when you exercise is that it’s ok, great even, to work hard – but you have to allow your body to recover after you push it. Doing a hard workout every day is not a realistic way to stay free from injury. In fact, there is such a thing as overtraining syndrome and that can leads to injury and lowered performance. Talk to your chiropractor in Los Angeles to see how to best manage your training and meet your performance goals. Your knees will thank you! Disregarding Muscles Around The Knee It’s important to remain flexible as well as strong, and your knees need it too. In fact, weak muscles around the knee and a lack of flexibility are some of the main reasons that people injure their knees. When you do a workout make sure you isolate the appropriate muscle groups in order to build them up, and also make sure that you incorporate a stretch routine to stay flexible too. If you need guidance with this, talk to your chiropractor! It’s not as difficult as people think it is to treat your knees right. In fact, treating your knees right will actually increase your overall health, so it’s a win/win situation! Start it off right by visiting your west Los Angeles chiropractor today!