Which joints should be paid special attention to when climbing high and looking far

The parts of the body most likely to be injured when climbing are the ankles and knees, especially for people who already have joint problems, as climbing can aggravate existing joint diseases.

Climbing can aggravate knee joint problems

When people climb mountains, the knee joints need to bear a weight that is three or four times the weight of the body. When going downhill, in addition to your own body weight, the knee joints have to bear the downward force, and this impact will increase the damage to the knee joints.

Regarding knee injuries, doctors say that climbing generally does not cause direct damage to the knee joint. It is often because the knee joint itself has mild osteoarthritis. After climbing, the knee joint bears a large load in a short period of time, which aggravates the damage to the joint and causes increased joint pain. Some middle-aged and elderly people will also experience swollen knee joints a few days after climbing. After examination, the doctor found water accumulation in the joint cavity. The pain caused the injured knee joint to be unable to straighten and flex, and unable to walk. This situation is combined with knee synovitis and joint effusion, and often requires hospitalization.

Ankle joints are also prone to injury

Dr. Zhang Hao said that in addition to the knee joint, the ankle joint is also the part most susceptible to injury when climbing.

The ankle joint is a joint that can perform circular motion and has poor joint stability. On rugged mountain roads, the human body's ability to maintain balance decreases. When going up or down the mountain, especially when one is physically exhausted or the ground is uneven, it is easiest to sprain the ankle. Generally speaking, after an ankle sprain, the sprained joint will be painful, but the ankle joint will not be swollen, there will be no bruising under the skin, and the joint can still move. In this case, it is mostly a strain on the surrounding soft tissue, without causing tearing of the surrounding tendons and ligaments. This situation can be relieved by resting for a few days, and there are generally no sequelae. However, after an ankle sprain, there will be swelling on the inside or outside of the sprained joint, subcutaneous bruising, and sometimes even swelling of the entire foot, making it impossible to walk. This is generally accompanied by a tear or complete rupture of the medial or lateral ligament of the ankle joint.

"In this case, no fracture will be shown on X-rays. Many people think that if no fracture is found on X-rays, it is not a big deal. In fact, ligament damage is most likely to lead to sequelae. Many patients with a history of ankle sprains often experience repeated sprains of the injured ankle many years later, and even sprains when walking on flat roads. This is because after the ankle is sprained, the surrounding ligaments are broken and cannot be completely repaired, resulting in ankle instability and repeated joint sprains." The doctor said that this type of joint sprain should never be underestimated. Patients need to go to the hospital for regular treatment, and even surgery to repair the ligaments. In addition, ankle fracture is the most serious sprain and patients must go to the hospital for specialist treatment in time.

Three "disciplines" of mountain climbing

Climbing a mountain is not as simple as moving your legs as you might imagine. It involves a lot of knowledge and skills. Experts remind you that you need to pay attention to the following three points when climbing a mountain.

The strength should not be too large

The intensity of mountain climbing should not be too high. Choose the time for mountain climbing according to your physical condition. Generally, the heart rate should be kept at 120-140 beats/minute. It is generally appropriate to exercise 3-4 times a week. During the day, 5pm to 8pm is the best time to climb the mountain. At this time, the human body's motor function is the strongest. After a day of activities, the body has been warmed up and has the strongest ability to move. So, this is the best time to do aerobic exercise.

Drink water before hiking

Before hiking, you should pay attention to replenishing water. Drink more water after satisfying your thirst, or drink 400 to 600 ml of water 10 to 15 minutes before hiking.

Warm up first, then cool down

When you start mountain climbing exercise, you must not increase the amount of exercise right away, but proceed step by step. Usually you should do some simple warm-up exercises first, and then gradually increase the intensity at a certain breathing frequency to avoid sudden changes in breathing frequency during exercise. When hiking, you should travel light and don't carry too much to avoid hurting your waist. At the end of climbing, you need to do stretching exercises. On the one hand, it can better protect the muscle capacity and return blood from the limbs to the heart; on the other hand, it will not make the legs become thick and strong due to climbing.