Preventing Kneeboarding Pain

Knee pain affects most people at one time or another. The knees hold up the weight of the body and allow leg movement especially in kneeboarding. The usual stress of years of activity and wear can create pain that can range from dull to weakening. Sports like kneeboarding and exercise in general have the potential for knee pain and injury. Even people who do not exercise are vulnerable to knee pain from falls, sprains or degenerative conditions such as arthritis in some ways or another. In the case of kneeboarding, some kinds of knee pain are caused by sudden injuries or falls especially when you are doing extreme tricks on the water. Other conditions are the effect of overuse or inflammation of the knee. There are ways to have fun on the kneeboard without causing your body pain. Here is how you can prevent kneeboarding pain. Although kneeboarding is a fun and exciting sport, the fun goes out the window when you are in pain and injured. Kneeboarding makes the body more susceptible to pain mostly because the bouncing of the board from the water causes stress on the body. It is not unusual to experience pain in the knees, back, and feet or ankles while you are doing knee boarding. However, there are ways to lessen the pain, if nor prevent it all together. * The composition of the kneeboard can be one factor when determining the amount of strain put on the body. Strain can translate to pain or may cause to injury. You should know the distinction in the types of kneeboards as there are basically two types. The plastic boards are thicker and has a tendency to absorb impact more than the thinner compression molded boards. The plastic boards tend to ride higher on the water, therefore causing less pull on the body. However, compression molded boards ride lower in the water. The trade off is that the compression boards are generally better for competition and performing extreme tricks. They edge better in the water, aiding in the set-up of aerial maneuvers. * Fitting both types of boards with additional padding can help to lessen the strain on the body. Pads are best placed underneath the knees, shins, and ankles and attached to the board with spray adhesive or contact cement. * When kneeboarding, as well as all other boat-towed sports, you should begin with stretching before going into the water. You should pay attention to stretching your neck, arms, shoulders, legs, abdominal area, back, and ankles. A few minutes of stretching can prevent what could turn into day's worth of pain. * By maintaining a good posture while kneeboarding, you can help prevent body pain. Instead of sitting directly on top of your heels with the feet directly below the buttocks try place your feet at an angle and to the side of the body. This placement puts the outside of the hips on top of feet. * When riding on the kneeboard, you should keep your back straight with the shoulders slightly back. Leaning forward adds strain to the body and gives you a feel of less control. You should keep your arms bent and close to the body. * Lastly, but very important, you should listen to your body. If you are in pain while kneeboarding you should take steps to rectify the problem.