Part 4: Knee joint
21 Yoga Practices For Body Flexibility
The lower limb of the human body is composed of the thigh, knee joint and leg. The knee joint, which acts as a connection point, is responsible for mobility and flexibility, and also carries the full weight of the body.
The shin bone Tibia (larger bone of the lower leg) is connected to the Femur (the thigh bone) by the knee cap, also called Patella. Each bone end is covered with a layer of cartilage that acts as a shock absorber and protects the knee.
Two groups of muscles namely quadriceps muscles (located on the front of the thigh) and hamstring muscles (located at the back of the thigh) are involved in the movement of knee. While the quadriceps help in strengthening of the legs, the hamstrings help in flexing of the knee and medial (inward) rotation of the lower leg when the knee is bent.
Joint pain in the knees may occur due to various reasons. Inflammation in the knee due to Osteo arthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis , injury due to heavy impact while jumping or falling can be some of the many causes responsible for knee swelling and pain. Resistance towards a sudden (unforeseen) change in life circumstances either emotionally or mentally may manifest in the physical body in the form of joint pain.
The natural intelligence of the body on any part that is affected is restricting its mobility. If we just leave it like that, the muscles around the affected part will fail to function due to non activity. Hence it is essential to maintain mobility of the affected part.
Flexion and extension of your knees with breath is a simple yoga practice to maintain mobility when there is pain in the knee joint.
The practice also increases flexibility and rejuvenates your legs.
Here is a demonstration of this practice for your perusal:
There is one home remedy available for the joint pains. The herb Cardiospermum halicacabum (Balloon vine, Mudakkathan in Tamil) of the soapberry family has anti inflammatory, antioxidant and analgesic (pain relieving) properties which makes it very effective for reducing all kinds of inflammation. It can be consumed in the form of soup or can be added to the dosa batter and consumed as dosas.
This practice was developed in accordance with Yoga Therapy, a branch of yoga that requires the ailing person to perform a set of asanas to cure prevailing health issues. Read more about Yoga Therapy here.
Read the previous title in this article series. Part 3: Leg
Read the next title in this article series. Part 5: Thigh
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