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The Silent Saboteur: How Valgus Knee Can Affect Your Health and How to Prevent It

The Silent Saboteur: How Valgus Knee Can Affect Your Health and How to Prevent It - SelectFlex

Valgus knee, a condition where the knees turn inward when standing or walking, is more than just a cosmetic concern. While it may seem harmless, this misalignment can have a significant impact on your health if left unaddressed (Hospital for Special Surgeries). In this blog, we will delve into the various ways valgus knee can affect your overall well-being and discuss essential strategies to prevent and manage this condition.

Understanding Valgus Knee: Valgus knee, also known as knock knees, is a condition where the knees angle inward towards each other when standing with the feet together. This misalignment can occur due to various factors, including genetics, age, and injury. While it's common in children, it can persist or develop in adulthood, causing discomfort and health issues (National Library of Medicine).

How Valgus Knee Affects Health:

  1. Joint Strain: Valgus knee places excessive stress on the knee joint. Over time, this can lead to wear and tear, increasing the risk of conditions like osteoarthritis.
  2. Pain and Discomfort: Knock knees often cause pain and discomfort in the knees, hips, and lower back. The misalignment disrupts the body's natural biomechanics, leading to muscle imbalances and pain.
  3. Reduced Mobility: Individuals with valgus knee may experience reduced mobility, making it challenging to engage in physical activities. This sedentary lifestyle can lead to weight gain and associated health problems.
  4. Increased Risk of Injury: The abnormal knee alignment makes individuals more susceptible to injuries, particularly during physical activities and sports.
  5. Aesthetic Concerns: Apart from the health issues, valgus knee can lead to self-esteem and body image concerns, affecting mental health.

Preventing and Managing Valgus Knee:

  1. Physical Therapy: Consult a physical therapist who can create a customized exercise program to strengthen the muscles around the knees and improve alignment (Boston Children's Hospital).
  2. Orthotic Inserts: Orthotic shoe inserts can help correct the misalignment and provide support to the arches, reducing discomfort.
  3. Weight Management: Maintaining a healthy weight reduces the strain on your knees, making valgus knee less problematic.
  4. Surgery: In severe cases, surgical intervention may be necessary to correct valgus knee. Consult an orthopedic specialist to discuss surgical options.
  5. Proper Footwear: Wearing shoes with proper arch support and cushioning can help alleviate discomfort and improve alignment.
  6. Stretching and Range of Motion Exercises: Incorporate regular stretching exercises into your routine to improve flexibility and joint mobility.

Conclusion: Valgus knee is not just a cosmetic concern; it can significantly impact your health and overall well-being. Understanding how this condition affects your body is the first step towards prevention and management. Whether through physical therapy, orthotic inserts, weight management, or surgical intervention, there are ways to address valgus knee and mitigate its health effects. By taking proactive steps to improve knee alignment and reduce strain, you can maintain a healthier, more active lifestyle, free from the limitations of this condition.

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HOW TO STOP JOINT PAIN

HOW TO STOP JOINT PAIN - SelectFlex

Joint pain is an extremely common condition. The US Centers for Disease Control estimates that roughly one-quarter of the millions of Americans who experience arthritis will, in fact, suffer from severe joint pain.

The usual remedies for pain, including pharmaceuticals, often do not achieve the results hoped for. Unfortunately, they also come with serious risks of addiction and dependency that make them less-than-ideal long-term treatment options.

So, how can you stop joint pain safely and effectively? Read on to find out practical steps you can take to eliminate or reduce joint pain.

Exercise More
By this point, encouragements for more exercise are a dime-a-dozen. Nearly any healthcare or wellness publication will extoll the proven benefits of exercise on quality of life.

Exercise is an eternal answer to poor health, though, because it indeed has enormous potential to improve the function of the body. After all, we evolved to spend our lives outdoors on the hunt or in the field getting exercise and fresh air and sunlight, not cooped up in an office.  Even minimal amounts of exercise like walking for a few minutes a day can do wonders as far as alleviating your chronic pain.

Work Turmeric Into Your Diet
Although turmeric is most often associated with Indian culinary preparations such as curry, this Indian spice has so much more to offer in terms of its painkilling ability.

Turmeric has long been used in ancient Indian medicine. Now, emerging evidence from scientific study of turmeric and its bioactive various bioactive compounds can substantially reduce chronic arthritis pain as effectively as pharmaceutical drugs: "8–12 weeks of standardized turmeric extracts (typically 1000 mg/day of curcumin) treatment can reduce arthritis symptoms (mainly pain and inflammation-related symptoms).

Arch Support
The human foot is naturally designed to function with an "arch" on the inside portion of the foot. If there is some flaw to the natural function of the arch, chronic pain may develop. This concern is especially relevant for athletes and workers people who stand for hours on their feet.

SelectFlex Orthotic Insoles are high-quality shoe inserts proven to alleviate foot pain caused by a poor arch. The product has customizeable arch support so that the insoles can be adjusted to deliver maximum comfort. These types of therapeutic devices are especially beneficial for individuals who experience Morton's Neuroma.

Include More Fiber in Your Diet
Fiber reliably decreases the severity of pain in a large portion of individuals who usually take sub-optimal amounts of fiber through their diets.

The reality of the standard American diet is that very few US adults get enough fiber in their diet, often sacrificing nutritional meals packed with healthy fiber for fast food and processed food, which generally have much lower amounts of fiber.

The simplest way to include more fiber in your diet is to focus on getting at least 3-4 servings of vegetables and/or fruits each day. Just be cautious about too much sugar from overconsumption of fruits.

Purge Added Sugar From Your Diet
Of course, Mary Poppins said that a "spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down." What she didn't know, apparently, is how devastating sugar can be to health, including by driving the very inflammation that often causes chronic pain.

Accordingly, do all that you can to limit your sugar intake. This means cutting out foods with added sugar like sodas or candies and in their place looking for natural substitutes.

One good rule of thumb is to spend the vast majority of your time at the grocery store on the outside portion of the store where fresh, unprocessed foods are more likely to be found.

If you are diligent about getting more exercise, eating more nutritious foods, filled with healthy fiber and free of processed sugar, taking turmeric supplements, and possibly changing your footwear to include support with SelectFlex Orthotics, you are sure to see improvements in your pain levels. 

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