[이데일리 이순용 기자] The era where ‘self-management’ is essential. These days, young people enjoy a variety of sports, from light mountain climbing to vigorous sports such as golf and tennis. However, injuries may follow if you exercise excessively for a cool ‘cut’ to post on Instagram without developing basic physical strength.
If the injury is temporary, it can be treated. However, if you suffer an injury that is difficult to recover from, such as ‘chondromalacia’, you may suffer until old age. Chondromalacia is a major cause of knee pain in young people. The cartilage in the knee joint makes the movement of the joint smoother and acts as a buffer to absorb the shock applied to the leg. However, when this cartilage is exposed to repetitive stimuli and shocks, the tissue becomes soft and does not play its role. The disease that causes pain due to this is chondromalacia.
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Usually, people consider knee pain to be exclusive to the elderly, but it is a misunderstanding. Looking at the data of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, 105,833 patients were treated for chondromalacia of the knee in 2019, of which 44,786, or 42.3%, were in their 20s and 30s.
The main cause of chondromalacia is none other than ‘overeating’. If you suddenly and excessively exercise in a state where you do not have enough muscles, the joints, not the muscles, receive the shock instead. When this process is repeated, the cartilage gradually wears out. It is for this reason that chondromalacia is particularly common in young people.
Director Jeong Ho-won of Yonsei Kunwoo Hospital said, “In the early stages of knee chondromalacia, there is a slight pain or a tingling sensation, and every time you walk, you start to hear a ‘crack’ sound. However, as the condition progresses, the tingling sensation is felt more often and is accompanied by severe pain when going up and down the stairs.” Pain is mainly felt in the front of the knee joint, but if you feel stiff and have pain when you get up following sitting in an office chair or vehicle for a long time, you may suspect knee chondromalacia.
Director Jeong continued, “Once damaged, knee cartilage cannot be regenerated, so if there is an injury, it is better to seek treatment early.” “Prevention is more important than treatment.” Should be. This puts less strain on the knee cartilage. Exercises such as lunges and squats are helpful,” he added.
If symptoms appear, early treatment is important. Director Jeong said, “If the symptoms are not severe, conservative treatment is given first. It is worth trying extracorporeal shock wave treatment with little pain, drug treatment to reduce inflammation, joint injection treatment, etc.” Surgery may be unavoidable.”
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