This athlete got rid of a painful knee problem-- and you can too!
Tierna Davidson jumped for joy as the U.S. women's national soccer team clinched the gold medal this past weekend.
But several days before this, she was limited by knee swelling.
During the July 28th match against Germany, Davidson was injured when her knee collided with an opponent's knee.
She couldn't continue playing.
And a few days later, she missed the following game due to knee swelling. (source )
But six days after her injury, she returned to the soccer field during the U.S. win over Japan.
And a week later, she played in the gold medal match.
Why Knee Swelling Happens
When too much force is applied to your body-- to your elbows, your ankles, your knees, etc.-- the resulting damage triggers a reaction in your body.
The reaction involves increasing fluid in the injured area.
This helps your body heal.
An injury may occur with a one-time force (trauma)-- like the soccer injury Davidson sustained.
Or it may occur when your knee isn't strong enough to withstand repetitive forces-- during activities like hiking or running.
And it may occur when your knee isn't strong enough to withstand sustained forces-- such as kneeling, sitting or standing .
2 Locations where Knee Swelling Occurs
Forces on your knees may create superficial swelling.
Or they may create swelling deep inside your knees.
A tough fibrous sac holds a normal amount of fluid inside all healthy knees.
This fluid protects your knees and helps them move well.
This fluid is pictured below in yellow:
When damage occurs superficially-- outside the knee's fibrous sac-- swelling is typically easy to observe.
This often occurs due to trauma.
It's likely the type of swelling that Davidson had.
When damage occurs deep inside the knees, the normal knee fluid-- pictured above in yellow-- decreases in quality and increases in quantity.
But it's often more difficult to notice this type of swelling.
Here are 5 signs of swelling deep inside your knees:
3 Steps to Get Rid of Knee Swelling
#1 Temporarily decrease the forces on your knees.
When knee swelling is caused by a one-time force or trauma, prevent situations where that trauma may occur again.
When knee swelling is caused by repetitive forces, like hiking or running, limit these activities.
When knee swelling is caused by sustained forces, like kneeling, sitting or standing, interrupt these positions.
Decreasing force on your knees may include:
Even though her team was playing in the Olympics, Davidson sat on the sidelines during the game against Australia.
This supported her body in doing the hidden work of healing.
And it protected her knee from additional forces that would cause further harm.
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#2 Slowly move your knees in ways that feel good and require very little effort.
Following her injury, Davidson was seen riding a stationary bicycle next to the soccer field.
If riding a bike feels good to your knees, this may be a way to help heal your knees.
Another way to move your knees-- one that does not involve any exercise equipment-- involves sitting in a rocking chair .
By resting your feet on the floor while you rock in the chair, an easy, lubricating motion occurs inside your knees.
Or you may choose to perform Sitting Sliders .
Sit in a chair, and rest your feet on a furniture mover, a dust cloth, or something that decreases the friction between your feet and the floor.
Then, effortlessly slide your feet to bend and straighten your knees in a comfortable range of motion.
Moving with a very light amount of force helps eliminate both superficial knee swelling and swelling deep inside your knees.
#3 Gradually re-introduce activities and exercises that use your knees.
Davidson worked up to the movements required on the soccer field.
She started with movements that were very easy for her-- like the exercise bike.
Then, she gradually re-introduced activities like kicking a ball and jogging.
And finally, she tried more challenging activities, including running, pivoting, and jumping.
When she was able to do so without knee swelling, her medical team gave her the okay to return to play.
Davidson had a team relying on her:
Even if you're not on a team, you probably have family, friends, or colleagues depending on you.
Your knees must be ready for certain activities.
Knee pain and swelling indicate your body is trying to heal.
Use these 3 steps to facilitate healing and improve your knees:
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When you're ready, I offer 3 ways to build stronger, healthier knees :
Tier ONE - Get started.
Discover how to make your knees feel better in as little as 10 minutes a day:
The Ten Minute Healthy Knee Starter Kit (online access)
And for an in-depth explanation of the healing and strengthening requirements for knee osteoarthritis, read the best selling book by Doug Kelsey, PT, PhD:
The 90 Day Knee Arthritis Remedy (e-book format)
Tier TWO - Get better.
Instead of working around your knee pain, follow step-by-step recommendations within our online fitness program and private community:
Better Knees for Life (Costs less than a weekly personal trainer)
Tier THREE - Become your best.
Your knees -- both what they've been through & what you need them for -- are as unique as your fingerprints. You need guidance to match.
Receive an ongoing, customized plan to overcome knee pain while working with Laurie during online video sessions:
Better Knees Coaching (Schedule a free 20-minute Strategy Session to determine if coaching is a good fit for you.)
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P.S. Do you know someone with knee pain? Please share this with them.