The Top 3 Knee Pain Causes8/16/2022 Last week, we talked about knee anatomy and facts. This week, we’ll take a look at the top 3 knee pain causes and how we treat each of them here at AFC Chiropractic. Like a lot of joints in your body, the knee consists of ligaments, meniscus (the cartilage between the bones), muscles, and tendons. Each of these can strain, sprain, or tear from use over time without proper recovery, or from an injury (like a fall).
If you have an old knee injury that was not properly treated, it may flare up every so often, or you may feel knee pain all the time. This pain is due to these various tissues (ligaments, joints, cartilage, muscles, and tendons) becoming inflamed. 1) Ligament DamageThere are 2 types of ligaments surrounding the knee: the collateral ligaments on the sides of the knee and the cruciate which make a cross-like pattern on the inside of the knee. When you tear or strain these ligaments, not only do they cause pain, but they don’t hold the alignment of the knee in its normal position. Untreated, walking will put abnormal strain on the cartilage and muscles, causing them, too, to become overworked and inflamed. Pain behind the knee is sometimes caused by the cruciate ligaments becoming torn or inflamed. Our first step will be to determine the extent of the damage, before providing a holistic approach to recovery, healing, and strengthening of the muscles that support the ligaments, helping you to restore a comfortable, natural gait. 2) Baker’s Cyst, or Knee Cartilage DamageThe meniscus is a figure 8-shaped piece of cartilage between your thigh bone and lower leg bone. Repeated strain, such as running, can wear it out while trauma can tear it, causing a condition known as Baker’s cyst. As with ligament damage, our number one priority will be to help build strength and flexibility in the muscles surrounding the knee in order to take pressure off the damaged cartilage. Cartilage tissue does not heal as quickly as skin or muscle, and takes time, patience, and a wholesome diet to support. Our goal is to help you recover from Baker’s cyst and find renewed strength without the need for surgery. 3) Knee Muscle StrainThe muscles of your leg can also cause knee pain. There is a kinetic chain spanning from the foot, along the ankle, past the knee, and up to the hip and lower back. If any of these areas are misaligned, it affects the entire chain. IE: an unsupported arch in a shoe can cause the foot to pronate, or turn inward, which rolls the ankle inward, thereby turning the knee inward. Over time, it causes strain on the meniscus and the IT band of muscles tighten up, becoming apparent through knee pain. Most often, the root cause of muscle pain behind the knee or otherwise is posture. Running form, shoe shape, limping, and other factors affecting how you use your legs will cause the muscles to be strained in ways they’re not built for. After determining the full extent of the damage, our next step is to identify the cause of your knee pain and help not just with recovery but with corrective interventions to help prevent knee injury in the future. In order to treat the knee correctly, at AFC we first start with a thorough exam to determine which tissue is causing the pain. Treatment may include trigger point injections, manipulations of the spine, hip, knee, and/or ankle, and teaching the appropriate stretches and exercises to strengthen the knee. Rarely are medications such as anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) or muscle relaxants prescribed. The goal is that you’ll never need surgery. The great news is that this condition responds very quickly when you take a comprehensive approach like we do here at AFC. To get started, please visit a local chiropractor.
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AFC Physical Medicine’s holistic approach to knee pain will help you get to the root cause and give you relief. As with other symptoms that would bring you into one of our AFC locations, patients with knee pain will receive a detailed consultation, thorough examination, and x-rays if necessary. Dr. Sculley and I have found that patients who come into our offices usually have one of two main reasons for their knee pain: muscular imbalances between your IT band (outer thigh muscle that connects hip to knee) and your vastus medialis (inner quad muscle), and arthritis of the knee joint. AFC has treatment options that can help with both conditions, and many more.
Knee Physical Therapy Let’s talk about the treatment for the first condition: muscular imbalances between your IT band and your vastus medialis muscles. When this imbalance leads to knee pain, your IT band is very tight and trigger points are usually found within the muscle. Meanwhile, the vastus medialis muscle is weaker. Treatment for this condition involves our physicians’ assistants performing natural trigger point injections into the IT band and manual therapy performed by one of our licensed massage therapists. AFC will also prescribe exercises in the office to strengthen your inner thigh muscle. Chiropractic adjustments to align the knee cap for proper stability will also be treated. In certain cases, foot orthotics may be recommended to maintain proper knee alignment. Arthritis Knee TreatmentFor patients with pain resulting from knee arthritis, proper alignments from our chiropractors can help prevent future wear and tear to the knee. In addition, our physicians’ assistants may provide Supartz or Synvisc. These are synthetic versions of the normal lubricant in the knee which, when injected, protects and soothes the cartilage, preserving it against future injury. In most of our patient cases, treatment for these conditions can result in relief immediately or in a couple of weeks. Knee pain can be debilitating and many individuals go years living with this pain. You do not have to live like this! Schedule a chiropractic appointment and let AFC help you. id you know that 1 in 3 adults suffer from high blood pressure? For some individuals, special chiropractic adjustments may help lower blood pressure. This is because the spine affects many parts of your body, including your heart and blood flow. Watch this video for more information:
Recap: Spinal alignment has been proven to be connected to overall health, including blood pressure. Specifically, the C1 vertebra at the top of the spine has been shown to be critical to healthy blood pressure. In a study of 25 patients who received a C1 adjustment and 25 who received a placebo procedure, the patients who received the C1 chiropractic adjustment experienced lowered blood pressure by an average of 17 points. Patients normally require 2 blood pressure medications to achieve the same results. Traditional blood pressure treatment can be supplemented or even replaced with chiropractic care. Through a C1 adjustment, patients achieve improved circulation and reduced pain. The improved blood flow allows oxygen and nutrients to reach the different parts of the body faster, improving overall health. The bottom line is if you or a loved one have high blood pressure, you are likely to experience lowered blood pressure and improved overall health through chiropractic care. You may even be able to stop taking blood pressure medication through a C1 adjustment. See how your health can be improved through chiropractic care. AFC is not your average chiropractic clinic. We are an integrated, holistic care center that offers adjustments, allergy therapy, nutritional advice, trigger point therapy, massages, and more. Our goal is to help as many people as possible feel better while also getting off medication and avoiding surgery! Request an appointment here to see how AFC can keep you (and your blood pressure) healthy. |
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