Knee Pain

Causes

Although the cause of knee pain is typically injury, there are many other causes. When an injury happens, it can affect any of the tendons and ligaments that surround your knee joint. It can also upset your bones.
Types of injuries that cause knee pain:

• Bone Fractures – break in the bones of the knee. When the fracture happens, you have to wait for the broken bones to return to their proper place before you can do anything that can further aggravate the injury. You may carry objects if you are wearing a brace or have a cast. Sometimes, you may have to wait 6-8 weeks before carrying large loads.

• ACL injury – it is the tearing of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL). It is one of the four ligaments that connect your shinbone to your thighbone. ACL injuries are common in athletes.

• Torn Meniscus – the meniscus is cartilage that cushions the thighbone and shinbone. It can be injured and torn by sudden pressure or turning around of the knee joint.

• Patellar Tendinitis – inflammation of tendons. People at risk for this condition are cyclists, runners, or those who play sports that require a lot of jumping.

• Knee Bursitis – it is an inflammation of bursa. Bursa lessen the pressure points between your tendons, muscles, bones and the skin near your joints. Knee Bursitis usually occurs on the inside part of the knee, just below the joint. It can cause pain and it reduces your ability to move.

There are also mechanical problems that can cause knee pain. These include:

• Bone spurs – this is an extra growth that occurs around the joint at the end of the thigh bone. This is the cause of friction within an arthritic joint. Patients with degenerative joint disease and arthritis are at risk.

• Loose bodies – these are small portions of bone or cartilage that move around the knee. They may be the result of wear and tear. You can have one or many loose bodies inside your joint that are either stable or unstable. When we say stable, it means that loose bodies don’t move inside the joint; unstable bodies do move inside of the joint.

• Iliotibial band syndrome – When the iliotibial band, the ligament that passes through the outside of the thigh, is inflamed. When it is not working properly, movement of the knee becomes painful. Runners are at risk to iliotibial band syndrome.

• Hip or foot pain – You can have a change in how you walk if you have hip or foot pain, which places more stress on your knee joint. Sometimes, the pain of the hip or foot is felt in the knee.

• Dislocated Kneecap – this condition takes place when the bone that covers the front of the knee called patella slips out of the socket, more often to the exterior part of the knee. The dislocation is obvious.

Chiropractic Care

We know how it feels to have so much difficulty to do basic daily activities – climbing the stairs, walking on the way to your office, picking up something on the floor, or just getting out of bed. Knee pain is certainly a burden to you. But you do not need to live with the pain forever.  According to the Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary Medicine, chiropractic care has proven effective in the management of knee pain and other ailments Chiropractors are experts in addressing the underlying issues of your knee pain. Chiropractic treatment is the use of manipulation and mobilization techniques in the knee areas where movements are restricted. The combination of treatments that chiropractors use can certainly help reduce knee pain, gradually increase the range of motion, and improve overall function. If the knee pain is severe, and it is already limiting your ability to perform your daily activities, those are the signs that you should see a chiropractor.

Specialist Chiropractor, Dr. Kevin Lyons and his staff at Beyond Wellness Chiropractic Center are dedicated to improving health and well-being. If you want to see them for a consultation, please call Beyond Wellness today.