Your knees are vulnerable in football because they are often unsupported and have little padding. Players fall down on every play, leaving your knees in danger of being hit. The high speeds and quick changes of direction can also be dangerous. To avoid knee injuries, players wear knee braces for protection. Knee pain is often slow to fade because the joint carries our weight throughout all movements.
Contact Injury
Injuries that occur because of contact to the knee can be traumatic but may also be superficial, requiring little time before you can resume competition. Knee contusions require minimal time to become accustomed to the soreness before you can return to the field. Sprains to the ligaments inside the knee also require a recovery time ranging from several minutes to a few weeks. Severe injuries involve significant structural damage to the knee. One of the four ligaments supporting the knee or the cartilage that cushions the joint could be torn, creating irritation and pain inside the joint. These injuries require surgery and several weeks or months to recover.
Non-Contact Injury
Injuries that occur without contact to the knee are often overuse injuries. Running too much before preparing the body for the pounding on the joint can cause soreness. Jumping can also cause overuse injuries. These injuries do not require rehabilitation but may require a few days of rest before resuming competition. In some severe cases, you may try to plant and change directions too quickly, causing the knee to be pulled in two different directions simultaneously and the structure of the knee to tear significantly. Severe non-contact injuries are often traumatic and require several months of rehabilitation for you to compete again.
Prevention
Unlike the shoulder joint, which is surrounded by muscles that can hold the joint together, the knee joint is not covered by muscle. The joint is exposed to contact and can be protected only by padding and bracing. The most advanced knee braces are solid metal, with contact points at the middle of the lower leg and the thigh. When the knee is hit, the pressure is absorbed at these two points, protecting the knee.
Treatment
Minor injuries such as contusions and even sprains require ice and rest. Unless the inside of the knee has structural damage, applying ice several times each day will reduce swelling and resting the joint will allow the injury time to heal before you begin slowly walking, running and cutting as the pain allows. Severe structural injuries will likely require surgery followed by several weeks or months of rehabilitation, and the joint may require constant bracing during competition for the rest of your football career.
References
- "Athletic Taping and Bracing 2nd Edition"; David Perrin; 2005
- "Sports Injury Handbook: Professional Advice for Amateur Athletes"; Allan M. Levy and Mark L. Fuerst; 1993
