You know when I see people bounding along the pavement with braces on their knees, and only about 40 years old, I want to tap them on the shoulder.  That hard surface is the killer for jogger' s knees. Squash does have the twisting and turning but at least mostly good floors/surfaces.

The habit of  stamping your feet will jar the knees too.

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Hi,

I've actually talked to a doctor (not a specialist in the field, but a doctor nonetheless) about squash destroying your knees. She told me that as long as the surface I played on had some amount of flexibility in it, like wood does, I didn't need to worry too much.

I've also seen some very good squash players who are well above sixty.You can find a picture of one of the all time greats (on a court at the age of 90!) on this page.

http://www.squashmagazine.com/vcm/squashmagazine/FEATURES/Introducing/hashim_khan.html

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Well this month I've been playing for 21 years.

I played at County and then International standard up to 14 years old (Started playing at 5!), then continued at County level through to 20, played around 10 hours a week right through University, then moved onto playing up to 14 hours a week from 23 to 25. I'm now 26 and playing a pitiful 3-5 hours a week.

I've had my fair share of injuries, but only 2 have been due to wear'n'tear.

I damaged my rotator-cuff during the 14 hour period, and around the same time I was diagnosed with a sideways curvature of the spine which took 9 months of intensive chiropractor treatment to fix and still causes me a problem from time to time.

On top of that I've dislocated my right knee FOUR times, but only once on court and NOT during play (kneeling down to put my shoes on I lost my balance and popped my knee out), the other 3 times have been no-where near a squash court.

I get no knee problems and my biggest issue is my back which comes from 20 years of bad-practise and poor strength and conditioning training (e.g. NONE!)

To put the knee thing into perspective, I'm close to 16stone in weight (100kgs) and move around like I weigh 12 stone - just not for as long!!

I have seen a lot of people with knee, hip, elbow, shoulder, neck and back injuries that have come from not getting the correct rest periods between matches and are generally caused by doing too much. The trick is simply to take your time and rest when you need it, eat healthily, stretch well (warm up and down!) and more than everything else RELAX!!

Cheers

Adz

p.s. Try glucosamine sulphate if you're having knee or hip problems. Doesn't work for everyone, but some of my friends (and one of my dogs!!) have become like new people (and animal!). It's really helped.

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Lets not forget Osgood schlatters!

Unfortunately for me I have Late onset Osgood, and I'm 18. Hopefully It will fix itself aslong I keep doing what I have to do.

I find that the Osgood doesnt really bother me aslong as I:

Have a good pair of shoes, which are generally replaced every 3 months! I can tell when they need replacing as my knee starts tobecome more tender after a hard game.

And STRETCHING the associated muscles! I got my stretches from a sports physio and it has made it alot more comfortable in general.

I've been thinking of wearing of those supportive soft knee braces while playing but not sure if it would really do much. Thoughts on knee braces?

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My knees were not destroyed from playing squash, even after 40 years or so; hey, I did not train physically as the pros now do though. Mind you a few other parts are worn, but I am proud to say, not rusted out, eg lower back and shoulders.

Note we have Ashour back from a knee injury at only 20 years of age.  How injuries can hold you back, and you will notice his world ranking has fallen this year from No. 2 to No. 4.  Because he is keen to progress to No. 1 as well as earn good dollars, it must be so hard to be patient and wait for injuries to come good.  Simple things that should help keep injuries at bay:

• Keep strong (keep fit to play squash)
• Do not over-train (heavy days and light days).
• Listen to your body.
• Control your weight.
• Wear proper footwear.
• Vary your training program (see Periodisation)
• Be aware of any genetic skeletal weakness, eg curvature of spine, bandy legs, flexibility, etc

The benefits of playing will far outweigh the problems associated with a few injuries. Also, be mindful that because you have a sore wrist, for example,  that does not mean you cannot keep fit while it is in recovery.

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• Weight is a killer in more ways than one and I would consider that the first priority.  While getting the weight under control it would probably be advisable to take on a more passive exercise program ,eg using the pool, walking each day for about 1 hour, ride a bicycle, whatever fits in with your life style. There is less impact, if your knees are playing up, using a Walking Machine.
  
• The link will give many ideas on the things to look at to manage your weight, as well as supply other reading regarding diet, food, exercise, injuries, etc.
• Once you begin to understand your body, and how it works, and how it reponds to healthy food choices, and regular exercise, etc you will take a leap further.
• Once the weight is under control it is more likely you will enjoy your squash better as you will suffer less fatigue, and less stiffness and injury.
• It is not rocket science, but choose food that is alive (not dead and processed to death), limit fats and sugars, read the labels of the food, and especially buy low GI food.

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YES, squash will eventually destroy your knees, take care of them they are hard to replace.  The key thing is losing weight if you are over, overweight people put extra strain on their joints even in daily activities and so damage them then, squash is a high impact sport which will add to the damage.  Squash can do immediate damage to the knees if you suddenly jar them or hit them into a wall but more often the continual impact will wear away the menisci especially the medial one.  They are semi circular areas of cartilege above the tibial plateau and act as shock absorbers.  In immediate trauma they can tear but degeneration of the menisci from the impact can lead to pain in the knees and osteoarthritis later in life.  Be aware a lack of weight bearing exercise may lead to osteoporosis!

Try using some form of knee supports and work on technique to prevent yourself from slamming your foot into the floor when you move or stop suddenly. Good insoles will help as their will relieve some of the impact absorbing work from the knees. The best way to lose the weight is exercise and eating a sensible diet, swimming is excellent as it wont put a strain on the joint and provides great balance to the squash.  Cut out as many snacks and biscuits as you can, if you feel the need see a doctor or nutritionist for more detailed advice as they will be able to look at your current diet and lifestyle and advise appropriately

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