Spring Hiking, Pay Attention to Knee Joint Health... Visit Hospital First if Injured

Hiking and trekking, which can be enjoyed lightly in the warm spring weather, are gaining widespread popularity. However, walking up and down uneven and irregular terrain with your feet can put strain on the knee joints and may cause joint diseases, so special caution is required.

The most common knee joint disease occurring when walking on steep and slippery trails during spring hiking is meniscus injury.

The meniscus is a crescent-shaped cartilage located on the medial and lateral sides inside the knee joint. It stabilizes the knee from the inside and outside, absorbs shocks, and protects the joint.

Meniscus injuries easily occur when the knee continuously receives impact while descending or when slipping, or when suddenly twisting direction.

If knee pain persists after hiking, or if there is swelling and stiffness, a feeling of catching or inability to fully straighten the knee when bending and extending it, creaking sounds with slight twisting, or sudden weakness while walking, there is a high possibility of meniscus damage.

As the meniscus loses elasticity with age, it can easily tear even without severe injury, so middle-aged and older adults who enjoy hiking need to be especially careful.

In addition to meniscus injury, there is a risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture when descending with force and the knee is bent backward under impact.

ACL rupture is a knee joint disease where the anterior cruciate ligament, a stabilizing structure that prevents the knee from slipping forward or rotating, is torn. Except for mild tears, it cannot heal on its own.

If ACL rupture is not properly treated, the knee joint may feel chronically unstable, leading to abnormal stress on the joint cartilage and resulting in cartilage damage.

Meniscus injuries and ACL ruptures often involve damage to the cartilage that protects the joint, which can progress to degenerative arthritis, making early diagnosis and treatment crucial.

Knee joint diseases can be recovered through medication, rehabilitation, and exercise therapy depending on the severity of the injury. If conservative treatment is ineffective, injections, arthroscopy, or surgery may be performed.

Knee pain image.

Dr. Seo Jin-hyeok, head of the Joint Center at Daedong Hospital, said, “Knee diseases are commonly known to occur in the elderly or people who enjoy sports, but even young people who do not engage in sports need to be cautious.”

He continued, “Office workers who sit for long hours or those with low physical activity may have weakened muscles around the knee, which makes injuries more likely due to the sudden increase in activity or other impacts during spring.”

Dr. Seo added, “Since early and appropriate response to joint diseases is important, it is better to visit a hospital early to check for joint diseases rather than making judgments alone.”

To prevent knee joint injuries such as those occurring during spring hiking, it is important to perform full-body stretching before climbing the mountain, including ankles, wrists, calves, thighs, and waist, to increase the flexibility of stiff muscles and ligaments.

When descending, watch your footing and shorten your stride on steep slopes to reduce the impact on the knees and prevent injuries.

Even on low mountains, hiking boots that prevent slipping should be worn instead of regular sneakers. Hiking boots provide ankle stability and firm support for the soles, which helps prevent injuries.

Using hiking sticks helps maintain balance on steep or slippery terrain, distributes the weight on the lower limbs, reduces energy consumption by about 10 to 15%, and protects the knees from impact during descent.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.