Don’t let knee pain bring you to your knees!
If you’re suffering from Knee pain, don’t wait. Give us a call at 320-632-9224 and schedule your $99 New Patient Special today. As a chiropractor Little Falls MN we work everyday to get you out of pain and to keep the pain away, so call today!
The knee is one of the largest joints in the body and a very popular area that a chiropractor Little Falls MN works on. The knee joints the femur (also known as the “thigh bone”) to the tibia which is the bone that makes up the “shin”. The kneecap or patella sits on top of the knee joints and acts as an anchor to the very strong thigh muscles. The tibia, a smaller bone off to the side of the lower leg connects into the knee as well. 10-15% of adults report knee symptoms on average. Knee pain also accounts for about 4% of all visits to the doctor or chiropractor Little Falls MN. In the field of athletics, it receives more attention than any other joint. Even though its structure is simple, consisting of only two joints (the patellofemoral and tibiofemoral), the knee is one of the most consistently stressed joints in the body. Furthermore, its position in the body leaves it vulnerable to trauma from the outside. This leaves little question why knee pain is one of the most common complaints to a chiropractor Little Falls MN.
Knee pain has a variety of sources usually split into three categories: inside the joint (interarticular), just outside the joint (periarticular), or referred pain.
- Referred pain from the lower back, pelvis, and hip
- Radiating pain from a pinched nerve
- Misalignment of the knee, ankle, hip, or spine
- Pinched nerve
- Overuse
- Arthritis
- Trauma
- Others – like infections
The rounded shape of the joint provides little stability so the knee depends on the quadriceps muscle of the thigh and it’s tendons for support. In fact, the earliest clinical indication of oncoming knee problems is atrophy of the quadriceps muscle. The two bones of the knee are cushioned my pads of cartilage called menisci. The ligaments of the knee have varying roles, but essentially are responsible for holding the knee together. The names of these ligaments are probably familiar: the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), PCL (posterior cruciate ligament), and the collateral ligaments. The knee has an intimate relationship with the hip and ankle. It depends on these joints for mobility and stability. Often, if there is muscle weakness, imbalance, or lack of motion in the hip and ankle, the knee is left to compensate which, overtime, can and will lead to deterioration and possible injury.
The knee has multiple tissues that are vulnerable to injury:
- Ligaments
- Muscle tendon
- Capsule
- Bone
- Bursae
- Cartilage
- Meniscus
The first step in getting rid of symptoms is finding the cause of those symptoms by going to a chiropractor Little Falls MN. At Chiro Plus Rehab we start with a thorough assessment of the knee and surrounding joints for misalignments, muscle tightness, imbalance, or scar tissue (a common occurrence in the knee). When needed, we also perform orthopedic and neurologic tests and take digital x-rays. Partly because the knee is also prone for developmental and structural deformity. The final component to our examination process is our chiropractor Little Falls MN signature Functional Movement Screen which can detect faulty movement (like improper bending of the knee) that are triggering your pain. Basically said, we leave no stone unturned when searching for what’s causing your knee problem.
Associated signs and symptoms include:
- Locking
- Stiffness
- Swelling
- Pain
- Numbness/tingling
- Weakness
- Sharp pain – especially with movement
Standard treatment to knee pain that is used by most chiropractor Little Falls MN is usually a combination or ice/heat, rest, and over-the-counter anti-inflammatories and maybe physical therapy. At Chiro Plus Rehab we strive to be more a more effective chiropractor Little Falls MN combine adjustments, hands-on muscle therapy, therapeutic exercises and Corrective Movement Therapy as well as passive modalities like ultrasound to eliminate pain as quickly as possible. We then provide you with self-care advice to keep things good once they’re there. Why? Because our goal is to provide effective, fast relief so you can get back to life.
A Doctor’s Note
Knee pain is one of the most disabling and disheartening conditions a chiropractor Little Falls MN sees. Who wants to be active when its hard to go up and down the stairs or it’s painful to kneel down to pick something off the ground? No one! It’s been my experience that when people have their knees assessed by the average healthcare provider, they usually have advanced imaging and are told one of two things: they have arthritis or they don’t. If they do, depending how bad it is, the choices are either cortisone injections or surgery, if it’s not arthritis then they’re told to ice, take anti-inflammatories and do some stretches and exercises. Here’s the problem: the health of your knee (or any joint, for that matter) depends not only it’s structure, but also how well that structure functions. I’ve seen folks highly arthritic knees that are virtually pain-free and others with a picture-perfect knee who can’t walk a block because their knee stops them. Yes, the condition of the joint impacts how pain-free it can be, but the most overlooked and underleveraged component to knee health, in my opinion, is the function of that knee. So what does a knee need to function well? Simple: good alignment and strong muscles. When both are these are present they ensure that the knee is moving as good as possible and when it does that, it’ll also be as healthy and pain-free as possible. When a patient comes in with knee pain, most providers will look at the knee—which they should—but for some, that’s where they stop. The patient’s ankle and arch aren’t assessed, neither is the hip, or spine. We all learn in elementary school the ankle bone is connected to the… knee bone. And the knee bone is connected to the… hip bone. In my chiropractor Little Falls MN opinion, that’s how the knee should be examined and treated!
*Patient took great care in strictly following the treatment plan prescribed.
Don’t let knee pain bring you to your knees!
If you’re suffering from Knee pain, don’t wait. Give us a call at 320-632-9224 and schedule your $99 New Patient Special today. As a chiropractor Little Falls MN we work everyday to get you out of pain and to keep the pain away, so call today!
