Knee Pain

Knee Pain Common Causes

There can be many different reasons for knee pain even though it is a common problem. Simply searching the internet for “knee pain treatment near me” will not help you identify or establish a personalized care plan for this condition. Understanding the root cause of knee pain will help us build a care plan which can offer relief. Some of the most common causes of knee pain are:

• Sprains and strains
• Sports injuries from running or jumping
• Bursitis
• Osteoarthritis
• Injured Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL), or other ligament injuries

There can be many other reasons why a patient may have knee pain, but these are the most common causes our knee pain chiropractor, Dr. Foss, encounters. Some other medical conditions may include Osgood-Schlatter Disease, Plica Syndrome, and gout. Lifestyle factors may also make painful knees worse or could be the root of the condition. Some of these include excess weight, poor ergonomic patterns, and consumption of tobacco products.

Knee Pain Symptoms

Problematic knees can be very painful no matter what the cause. Our patients here at Vital Wellness Center have described the pain in many ways. Some of these descriptions are dull, constant aching or sharp, stabbing pain that occurs when they try to straighten their legs or bend them. Others say they have more of a burning sensation.

One of the most disturbing sensations is a grating or grinding sound as they try to use their knees, which can be caused by bone rubbing on bone. This type of bone-on-bone friction causes extreme pain and makes our patients feel anxious.

Problematic knees can become debilitating no matter how patients describe their pain. This is no surprise since our knees provide stability and support for our legs. When our knees aren’t working correctly, everyday activities like walking, sitting, bending, and squatting can become challenging or impossible.

Chiropractic Can Help Improve These Types of Knee Pain

Several conditions linked to knee pain can be alleviated by chiropractic care. Chiropractic knee pain treatment focuses on the underlying cause of symptoms as it does with any condition. Therapy methods can vary wildly since an individual’s knee pain can be caused by one or more of these factors. The following are some of the most common types of knee pain we offer care for.

Osteoarthritis

The age-related degeneration of knee cartilage, tendons, and ligaments is called osteoarthritis. The bones will begin to rub against one another when these supportive structures wear down. Knee osteoarthritis pain and disability can be worsened by factors such as excess weight, inefficient gait, or poor footwear. Here at Vital Wellness Center, our chiropractor prefers to take conservative chiropractic approaches like heat therapy and exercise for knee osteoarthritis. 

Bursitis

Bursitis is the inflammation of the bursa and is another condition that we conservatively manage. The fluid-filled sac around the knee that protects the joint from excess friction is called the bursa. Bursitis occurs as this sac becomes inflamed from injury or wear-and-tear. Moving and kneeling become agonizing as this condition causes painful swelling around the kneecap.

Athletic Knee Injuries

Some great ways to stay in shape include activities such as running, walking, or even a quick pickup game of basketball, but they are very demanding on the knees. Two common conditions among athletes are runner’s knee and jumper’s knee. 

Patellar tendonitis, or jumper’s knee, occurs when the tendon that connects the shin to the kneecap becomes inflamed and painful. This makes straightening or bending the leg a  challenge. Patellofemoral pain syndrome, or runner’s knee, happens when there is a skeletal misalignment anywhere from the hips to the feet. This results in a dull-aching pain that intensifies during stair climbing, squatting, or kneeling and causes a grating or clicking sound. 

A healthier alternative to potentially addictive prescription painkillers and risky surgical procedures is offered by conservative chiropractic care. Relieving our patients’ pain with minimal side effects is what our knee pain chiropractor here at Vital Wellness Center enjoys most.

Sprains and Strains

Sprains and strains aren’t just related to the ankles. Ligaments around the knee can also result in a painful sprain since they can be easily torn. The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, tear is one of the most common types of sprains. Torn ACLs following dramatic tackles or other injuries result in painful swelling and notoriously sideline NFL players and other athletes every season. The more common partial tears respond well to conservative chiropractic care, but wholly torn ACLs require surgical repair. 

Knee tenderness, sharp pain, and regional bruising are responsible for lesser-known muscle or tendon strains. A partially torn muscle or tendon, like a sprain, can respond well to chiropractic management, but surgical repair is needed for a fully torn one. 

The iliotibial, or IT, band which runs from the hips to the shin along the outside of the leg can be painful when moving the knee. This IT band is the longest tendon in the body so it can cause widespread pain and dysfunction when a problem arises. IT band strain is commonly caused by running and can result in tightness and pain. Luckily, Vital Wellness Center offers restorative chiropractic techniques that can help stretch tight tissues and help loosen this strain.

Pain Traveling to the Knee

Knee pain is not always caused by a knee issue. The most frequent cause of this referred pain is sciatic nerve compression. Cervical spine and sacroiliac joint injuries can also cause knee pain. Chiropractic care can help diminish referred pain to the knees since it targets the underlying cause of knee pain.

Chiropractic Care Can Help Alleviate Knee Pain

Here at Vital Wellness Center, our chiropractor specializes in locating and correcting the primary cause of knee pain. We correct the underlying issues responsible for knee pain through our non-invasive interventions. We also offer customized lifestyle recommendations to help our patients enjoy enhanced health.

Pressure can be removed from the nerves by correcting a misalignment of the spine, hip, or knee thereby restoring normal knee function and pain perception. Optimizing our patients posture can help take excess weight off of the knee which can also aid in pain reduction. Massage and trigger point therapy are complementary therapies that can help improve blood flow to the knee and provide essential oxygen and healing nutrients to the area. 

Specific Chiropractic Knee Care We Provide 

There are three basic techniques we provide for knee pain relief even though care plans can vary from patient to patient. Releasing muscular tension by pressing and releasing stiff areas is called myofascial release. Bringing the knee through a complete range of motion is called articulatory exercise. A helpful addition to articulatory exercises includes a functional technique of applying and releasing gentle pressure when the joint moves through its maximum range of motion. Based on our patient’s range of motion and activity goals, we also develop strategic movement plans.

Other approaches we might recommend include:

• Trigger point injections
• Supportive bracing
• Regenerative medical care
• Platelet-rich plasma therapy

Visit Our Chiropractor for Knee Pain

If you have painful knees be sure to come in and see us at Vital Wellness Center since knee pain can worsen without care. Wear-and-tear-related issues will progress the longer you delay knee pain treatment. Call our chiropractic team for a comprehensive knee pain evaluation today before surgery or pain pills are your only two options.

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