http://ajs.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/01/06/0363546510393269.abstract
Stretching and Strengthening Can Help Prevent Runners Knee
Twenty-five percent of physically active individuals are afflicted with anterior knee pain (AKP). AKP is located at the front portion of the kneecap. Often time AKP sufferers experience heightened pain when running or climbing stairs. – According to an article by Reuter’s News Service, AKP is the main reason for increased dropouts amongst a large number of British Army recruits.
The Defense Medical Rehabilitation Center in Surrey, England conducted a study that charted the physical effects of a 14-week training program on 1,500 British army recruits.
Within the trial, half were asked to perform eight different types of exercise in every training session. The exercises focused on strengthening leg muscles and increasing flexibility via stretching. The remaining portion performed standard army warm-up and cool-down exercises.
The results: in the control group that performed standard military exercises, almost 5% developed immediate pain in one or both of their knees. In the test group that performed stretching and strengthening exercises, only 1% AKP. This resulted in a reduction in AKP risk by 75%.
Russell Coppack and his colleagues wrote in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
“A simple set of lower limb stretching and strengthening exercises resulted in a substantial and safe reduction in the incidence of AKP in a young military population undertaking a physical conditioning program,”
“Such exercises could also be beneficial for preventing this common injury among nonmilitary participants in recreational physical activity.”
Coppack and his colleagues are not positive that their research findings will be applicable to the regular population of exercisers since the characteristic military type drills are particularly people grueling and consistent. Yet, Coppack et al.’s findings are very important because they provide information to the British military that will assist them in protecting new and old soldiers alike.
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