If One Member Suffers: Lessons From an Injured Knee

Sometimes it is the hidden and underappreciated parts of the body that grab one’s attention—for instance, an insulted knee!

Okay, so it’s never been the most coveted physical asset of the truly beautiful. In fact, who ever checks it out when looking in a full-length mirror? But when I overdid my early morning exercise of rolling out of bed in a rather ungainly manner, my knee got my full, undivided attention. Incapacitating pain radiated out and down my leg.

“What happened!” I wondered with alarm. I hobbled around for the rest of the day. I tried walking stiff-legged; I tippy-toed. Nothing would soothe its anger. Nighttime was no better. Each time I moved, my knee complained, no matter what the position.

Trying to tough it out

This was not without precedent—I’d suffered with a knee problem before, but I thought I’d tough it out and let my body heal itself. Besides, our trip to the annual Feast of Tabernacles was right around the corner, and there was no time to consult with a professional.

When we left for our trip, I went well-armed with tennis shoes, an ice pack, a bottle of ibuprofen; and just for good measure, I took my dad’s cane that had been filed, unused in years, in the umbrella stand by the front door. It’s a good thing, because I used all of them during that week. And between services I noticed a lot of other people in the aisles with an assortment of canes, wheelchairs, walkers and limps. I was definitely not alone.

Once home, I hastened to a chiropractor and learned that I had somehow damaged the meniscus (something I had only casually heard of before, but came to know quite intimately). After several visits, it relented and grudgingly forgave the insult that had led to injury.

Everything I needed to know about knees

In the meantime, I did my homework about this previously underappreciated, highly complex part of me. For instance:

• The knee is the largest joint in the body. It is made up of four bones that are connected by muscles, ligaments and tendons that keep it stable.
• It is exquisitely designed for flexibility, allowing me, at will, to walk, sit, bend, squat, kneel and maybe even jog (if I really wanted to). And it can swivel on its axis. (That’s why I can—make that, could—vacuum in all directions without taking unnecessary steps.)
• It can carry an enormous load: Just walking down the street, it bears three to five times my body weight. (I don’t even want to think about the math.) When I climb our stairs, that force can multiply to seven times my body weight!

Now comes the part I really didn’t want to know but had a sneaking suspicion about and found out anyway:

• For every pound of weight I gain, my knees must bear the equivalent of four extra pounds. So, no gain, maybe no pain.
• And the big E! Exercise and physical activity, when done properly, can actually make the pain get better.

Fearfully and wonderfully made

My knee and I are on much better terms now, and I willingly give it the care and respect it deserves. When King David praised God, saying he was “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14), he must have included this silent, compliant workhorse of mobility called the knee.

Karen Meeker and her husband, George, attend the St. Louis, Missouri, congregation of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association.

For more about our wonderful Creator and taking care of His creation, see:

• Meet Your Maker
• To Your Health