The butterfly position that is favored by many ice hockey goalies in recent years places a great deal of strain on the knee joint. If you are worried about maintaining the health of your knees as you try to stop pucks in the upcoming hockey season, there are some things that you can do to try and prevent many of the knee injuries that plague goalies.

Here are two things to implement into your daily routine if you want to avoid a serious knee injury when you step out onto the ice next season.

1. Improve the stability of your knees by gaining more control through the hips.

Being able to maintain stable knees starts with the amount of control you have in your hips. A goalie with well-conditioned hips has the ability to completely stabilize his or her lower body, reducing the chance that a lower body injury will occur. If you have strong hips, you can reduce the amount of pressure that is placed on your knees while you are maintaining your ready-stance in net.

A good exercise to help you increase your hip control is a single leg drop squat. This exercise is essentially a squat that is completed on only one leg. Incorporating 5 single leg drop squats on each leg into your workout routine every other day will give you the hip strength you need to provide increased stability for your knees in the future.

2. Use kinesio tape on your knees each time you hit the ice.

Whether you are practicing or gearing up for a big game, taking the time to tape your knee could help you get the added support you need to prevent a serious injury. Since most athletes aren't fond of the restrictive nature of athletic tape, it can be beneficial to invest in some kinesio tape to help you address your knee health.

Kinesio tape offers structural and muscle support, and since it creates a small space between the muscle and dermis layer of the skin, it can increase blood flow and lymph drainage as well.

Taping your knees using kinesio tape is as simple as folding a large strip of tape in half and then using scissors to round the corners as you cut the strip in half. Place one-half of the large strip underneath your knee. Place the second half of the large tape strip over the first in the area underneath your knee. Attach a second large strip of tape along the outer edge of the kneecap, and a third along the inside edge of the knee to create a supportive cage for the knee that won't restrict your movement on the ice.

Preventing knee injuries is a great way to ensure that you are able to play an entire season in net without experiencing unnecessary pain.

For a knee pain doctor, contact a clinic such as Pottstown Surgical Associates.