Arthritis
Arthritis most often causes problems with a patient’s knee joint, but can affect other structures like their muscles, tendons and ligaments. Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis in the knee, is caused by the gradual degradation of the cartilage in the joint. Rheumatoid arthritis causes the knee joint to become inflamed and can often cause destruction of the surrounding cartilage. This is a bad thing if you want to walk normal and be productive throughout your life. Obesity or excess weight, or repetitive stress injuries from sports are the culprits most of the time. Your knee symptoms can include pain, swelling, stiffness or locking joints.
Iliotibial Band Syndrome
Inflammation of a tendon in or around your knee is not good, and its subsequent rubbing over the outer knee bone is most often caused by stress of long-term overuse, such as sports training and a misalignment. Symptoms include aches or burning sensations at the side of the knee, sometimes the pain can even radiate up the side of your thigh.
Ligament Injuries
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) can become sprained and cause a great deal of pain. That’s a good reason to have your knees checked by our office. Injury to the cruciate ligaments is sometimes referred to as a “sprain.” The ACL can become “stretched” or “torn” by a sudden or direct impact, such as in an auto accident or football tackle. Injuries to the medial collateral ligaments are often caused by a blow to the outer side of the knee that stretches and tears the ligament on the inner side of the knee. Football and hockey players often incur these kinds of injuries. The injury is often accompanied by a “pop” sound, followed by a buckling of the knee sideways. If you have any knee pain, get it checked today by scheduling an appointment.
Osgood-Schlatter Disease
This condition is caused by repetitive ‘stress or tension’ on the upper tibia (the bone in your leg). The patellar tendon and surrounding soft tissues at the point where the tendon attaches to the tibia can become “inflamed.”Pre-adolescent boys involved in sports that include frequent running or jumping are particularly prone to this.
Tendon Injuries
Tendon injuries in a person’s knee can be caused by anything from tendonitis to a ruptured or torn tendon. Overuse can cause the tendon to stretch like a rubber band, later becoming inflamed.
Referred Pain
Referred pain can result from low back facet joints, sacroiliac joints, hip joints, and muscles surrounding the knee, nerve compression in the low back, pelvis and thigh, or biomechanical dysfunction of surrounding joints in the feet, hips and pelvis. If you’re having knee pain, make sure you’re checked to find out what type of pain it is.
When should I get Chiropractic treatment for my knee(s)?
If knee pain is limiting your day-to-day or sporting activities, now is the best time to get it checked. You may have been given painkillers or taken anti-inflammatories and been told to rest with no long-term improvement. You also may have been told you have arthritis and there is nothing that can be done. Knee pain or restricted motion is something you need to have checked. CALL NOW to start getting some relief.