Is Skateboarding Bad For Your Knees (An Expert Guide)

Skateboarding has been a very popular form of sports and commuting for many years. The main reason behind its popularity is that they can enjoy it regardless of age and at a very low cost and facilities.

However, as a sport for the younger generation, the chances of injuries are much higher is skateboarding.

It’s impossible to ignore that falling off the board is just a regular part of skateboarding and can be bad for your knees.

However, don’t let that fear scare you away, as I have discussed all the common skateboard injuries. With a general introduction, diagnosis, and treatment of these injuries, it’ll be easier for you to avoid and cure them.

So, without further ado, let’s begin.

How does skateboarding affect your knee

Skateboarding is about moving your feet and keeping your balance on the skateboard. No matter what stance you prefer, the pressure from your body weight and constant movement put a lot of stress on your knees.

Skateboarding is typically a spot for the younger generation, so the knees can withstand that stress while you are young.

However, as someone starts to get old, it becomes more and more challenging for your knees. On top of that, frequent injuries and falls, which are very common in skateboarding, can affect your knees badly.

The knees tend to be the most probable affected area when you fall. In the long run, it can cause pain, stiffness, and swelling in your knees if you are not protecting yourself carefully.

Most common injuries of knees due to skateboarding: Introduction, diagnosis, and treatment

Due to skateboarding, you can have several forms of diseases in your knees. Below I have discussed the introduction, diagnosis, and treatment of some common ones.

1. Tendonitis sprains

As the name suggests, tendonitis is a problem related to the tendons in your feet. While skateboarding, your feet often go through extensive pressure and movement, which causes inflammation, swelling, and pain in your feet.

As a result, the tendons don’t function properly, restricting movement in the joint.

Diagnosis

As a problem that originates from tendons, tendonitis sprains can be easily diagnosed by external physical exams. If you have symptoms like pain, swelling, difficulty moving joints, and readiness, doctors may order an ultrasound or MRI to know the severity of the problem.

However, these tests are usually not necessary for new cases.

Treatment

There are several treatment plans for tendonitis, ranging from primary treatments to advanced therapies and injections. Treatments include:

• Rest, ice, compression, and elevation program
• Course of aspirin
• Exercise plans
• Platelet-rich plasma injections
• Steroid injections
• Shockwave therapy

2. Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis refers to pain in your feet, especially in the heel and arch area. Usually, when the plantar fasciitis ligament inflames due to the constant pressure of skating, it results in pain in your feet.

This is one of the most common orthopedic problems skaters suffer from.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing something like plantar fasciitis is pretty simple. Usually, there is no medical test required. Instead, doctors determine this issue typically by looking at your past medical history and physical exam.

In the exam, the doctors check the area of the pain and decide whether or not it’s plantar fasciitis.

Treatment

Here are the possible treatments for the problem, depending on the severity.

• Taking rest
• Taking pain relievers
• Exercise to stretch the affected area
• Walking with boots’ crutches or canes

3. Foot, ankle, or lower leg fractures

A broken leg can be a huge concern for anyone. But as a skateboarder, you should always be ready. With enough trauma to the body, your ankle, foot, or lower leg can easily get fractured. It can affect more than one bond at the same time.

Also, there can be several types of fractures, just in one body part.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing a fracture on your foot, ankle, or leg is easily recognizable from severe pain.

However, for further treatment and accurate detection, doctors usually recommend x-rays, CT scans, and MRIs to ensure whether it’s tissue damage or fractured bone.

Treatment

Treatment of your fractured ankle, foot, or lower leg depends on the fracture’s position and severity. Usually, a realignment procedure is used to treat most of the fractures.

However, depending on the case, you might need surgical intervention.

4. Arthritis

Arthritis is a common issue that most older people go through. However, its effect is not limited to elders only, as skaters often seem to have this problem too.

Because of arthritis, you’ll feel stiffness and inflammation in the different joints of your leg.

Diagnosis

Arthritis is usually diagnosed by examining the affected area and considering previous medical history. The physical exam included your joint mobility and checking the affected area.

Moreover, imaging tests like x-ray and MRIs can help get a closer look at the problem.

Treatment

Treatment of arthritis can differ depending on the severity of the problem. If it’s happening to you for the first time, just taking rets and medication can relieve your symptoms.

However, you’ll need physical therapy and therapeutic injections for more severe cases.

5. Neuroma

Among the common diseases, you can get from skating, this one can get serious. This problem develops around a tissue when a particular nerve tissue grows between your toes.

Usually, the growth is seen between your third and fourth toes. You’ll notice a subtle pain, stiffness, and burning sensation in that area. The feeling is similar to standing on a round object with socks on.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of neuroma is similar to any other orthopedic disease.

First, the doctor will ask you about your prior medical history and the symptoms that have been showing up lately. Patients with prior nerve injury history may often lead to this problem.

Then, MRI and ultrasound are often used to figure out any abnormalities in tissues.

Treatment

If you can detect neuroma early, it’s very much possible to avoid any surgical correction. Often a pair of thick-soled shoes is just enough to suppress common symptoms.

Apart from the shoes, anti-inflammatory drugs prescribed by doctors can help. Surgical operations are only for severe cases and are considered the last resort.

How to prevent knee injury

As they say, prevention is always better than cure. So before you get into skateboarding without prior research, it’s always best to know what you are getting into.

In the same way, before you have any knee problems, it’s better to know about the prevention.

So here are a few ways you can prevent knee injuries.

• Stretching out before you get into a knee-intensive task
• Instead of stopping suddenly, keep it slow
• Overtraining can lead to a knee injury
• Maintain healthy weight
• Consider physical therapy
• Work on your posture and technique
• Wearing knee guards can help

How to strengthen knee for skateboarding

Like the disease I discussed, I have discussed some common exercises that can strengthen your knees for skateboarding.

So let’s have a look.

1. Joint Rotations

Joint rotation is considered an effective way to increase a skater’s mobility. If you don’t know, your body prioritizes the task with capsular tissues.

So if you can create new capsular tissues by joint movement, that can be a great help.

2. Cardio workout

Cardio workouts are simply any exercise that increases your heart rate. But how does it help to strengthen your knees?

Cardio exercises can help your muscle building and have a healthy weight. When you do a cardio workout, your knees get prepared to withstand the intensity of skating.

3. Stretching

Skateboarding is considered a low-impact exercise. But despite being low impact, you should prepare by doing some primary stretching. Stretching out your calf, quad, and hamstring can be a great way to boost your performance and minimize injuries.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Question)

1. Is skateboarding well for the leg?

Until now, all we have talked about is skateboarding injuries. But do you know it also brings many benefits to the table for your legs?

IF you have weak leg muscles in different parts of your leg, skateboarding can help—different muscles, including the hamstring, glutes, and even lower back.

You’ll be surprised to know that it affects your lower abs, too, since your back and spine work simultaneously when you skate.

2. Should you bend your knees while skateboarding?

In skateboarding, different people use different types of stances. But no matter which stance you prefer, one thing is common in every stance, you have to o bend your knees.

Bending knees is a fundamental part of skateboarding stances for various purposes. Your knees allow you to have a balanced posture on the skateboard and work as a shock absorber. 

3. Is skateboarding bad for your feet?

The answer to this question depends on whether you have a past medical history. Of course, skateboarding has benefits for your legs. But if you have problems with your feet, skateboarding can sometimes make things worse.

Skateboarding often requires repetitive motion of your feet under pressure. If you have a prior medical history in your legs, skateboarding can be an issue.

4. Is skateboarding bad for your hips & back?

The answer is the same as the previous answer. Skating can be an issue with a prior medical history in those particular parts of your body.

Otherwise, skateboarding can be a good exercise to keep the muscles active. If you cannot move from your back, it affects your whole body incorrectly.

Lastly

That’s a wrap for today. I hope my article will be a beneficial guide to you in preventing the most common skateboarding injuries. Injuries and knee pain will happen, but that should not deprive you of the fun and excitement of the fun and excitement of skateboarding.

Without necessary safety and precaution, you can minimize the chance of injuries. However, my discussion above will help you diagnose, prevent and treat them easily, even if you have an injury. If you take my advice, stop being obsessed with the risks and fight your fear of skateboarding injuries.

As a long-time skateboarder myself, you won’t regret the decision.

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