The Importance of Wearing Knee Pads

It is important to care for the health of your knees. As the largest weight-bearing joint in your entire body, it is imperative that your knees be in good working order. Unfortunately, many people don't give their knees a lot of thought until they suffer an injury. Many of these injuries are the result of repetitive motion and stress. Wearing industrial knee pads is the key to protecting your joints and making certain that they keep working for you over the long haul.

People in a variety of industries are putting their knees in danger every day. Those who work in health care, as truck drivers or in construction are particularly at risk. However, factory and manufacturing workers also have a propensity for knee problems. These problems are sometimes the result of a sudden occurrence, such as an unexpected accident, but more often they come about from repetitive stress to the knee.

If you spend any part of your workday kneeling or if you are frequently required to lift and move heavy objects, then you may be susceptible to knee injuries. Research suggests that knee injuries are responsible for significant productivity loss. Moreover, treatment for such injuries can be very expensive for employers and workers. It can take weeks or months to reverse the damage, and sometimes the knee never quite heals completely. Even worse, some people require invasive surgery to correct the issue. In the meantime, they cannot work, which can be difficult for them and detrimental to their employer.

Chances are good that you won't truly realize how important your knees are to you until they start hurting. Knees are essential for walking, running, standing, lifting and pretty nearly anything else you do on a daily basis. Workers need strong, stable knees with adequate flexibility to be able to perform their daily tasks. When the knees are overused on a regular basis, it can lead to degenerative disorders like prepatellar bursitis or osteoarthritis. Others may suffer a tear in the meniscus. These injuries are painful and make the knee unstable. Many people describe a feeling of their knee giving out while they are simply walking.

Ligament injuries are also common in the workplace. These injuries can sometimes be referred to as sprains, but they are not usually as simple to treat as an actual sprain. In fact, many people will have to undergo corrective surgery for tears to the ACL, MCL or PCL.

Chondromalacia is another disorder common to people who must make repetitive movements while on the job. This condition is related to softening of the cartilage on the kneecap. If you've ever felt a dull, achy pain on the front of your knee or noticed that your knee pain increases while walking on stairs, then you may have the early-warning signs of chondromalacia. Many people with this disorder also describe increased pain while kneeling or squatting, which can make it difficult for them to perform their responsibilities.

Knee injuries can be painful and debilitating. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect yourself. The most important of these is wearing protective knee pads. These essential pieces of safety equipment provide an important barrier between your knees and the ground. Knee pads absorb impact pressures so your knees don't have to. In addition, they offer important support to the joint with their stabilization properties.

One study found that athletes who use knee pads for work experienced a 56 percent decrease in the occurrence of knee injuries. Considering that another study showed that there were nearly 185,000 occupational knee injuries treated in U.S. emergency rooms in a recent year, reducing that number by 56 percent would mean considerably fewer injured workers. Clearly, industrial knee pads should be an essential component of every worker's safety gear.

Taking care of your knees by wearing custom knee pads is a great way to help ensure the longevity of these important joints. Vuino Knee pads give you the confidence you need to work without fear of hurting yourself, and you're likely to find that you are more productive and successful when you have the right equipment. Even before you start experiencing any pain or swelling in your knees, get the protection you need with a quality pair of knee pads. Look for adjustable straps, whole-knee coverage and thick padding for the best insurance against knee injury.