CHARLOTTE – One thing you can be thankful for every single day is your precious knees. Not sure why? Well ask anyone who has ever had issues with their knees and they’ll tell you. First of all, let’s think about those knees. There’s so much more to our knees than those protective knee caps (patella). Let’s take a look at one of the largest and complex joints in your body.
Obviously your knee connects your femur bone, aka the thigh bone, (bone that connects to your hip) to your tibia bone (bone of the lower leg), but what does it do? It’s a stabilizer. It helps the body stay in an upright position without using muscles and it helps you to lower and raise yourself. The most popular parts that you’ll hear about (they most likely are what you hear of when you’ve torn them or need surgery on your knee) are the ligaments. For time’s sake will call them the ACL, the MCL and the PCL. Although I normally would focus more on muscles, these ligaments are most important and need attention.
The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and the PCL (posterior cruciate ligament): Both prevent the femur and the tibia from sliding back and forth on one another. The MCL (medial cruciate ligament) and the LCL (lateral cruciate ligament): Both prevent the femur from moving side to side. The main bone of the knee is the patella but you also have cartilage, the meniscus and articular that are shock absorbers.
-Lisa Lane is a licensed massage and bodywork therapist (#13098) in Mint Hill. Visit the Massage Sanctuary website at www.ncmassagesanctuary.massagetherapy.com to book an appointment.
