Archive for the ‘knee pain’ Category
Your Dallas Chiropractor knows from experience that knee problems can cause deep pain and can often be debilitating. There are many reasons why people experience knee pain. And, it’s important to be aware that everyone, at any age, is at risk. A fall, an auto accident, a sports injury, or some other acute, traumatic event can cause knee pain. Nonetheless, the knee problems that most people experience, especially as they age, are diagnosed as “non-trauma knee problems.” This is to say, the majority of knee problems are not due to a sudden injury to the knee, but rather because of long-term dysfunction and wear and tear on the knee due to excessive weight, poor gait, and other stresses on the knee joint and surrounding tissue that, over time, have developed into “noticeable” to “disabling” knee pain.
It may surprise you to know that chiropractors like me, your chiropractor in Dallas, treat almost as many patients with knee pain as we do patients with back problems. However, I’m convinced that we, chiropractors, would see fewer knee problems if more men and women came in sooner for back care. That’s right! Taking care of your back can help prevent knee pain!
What does your back have to do with your knee? The answer is that the musculoskeletal system of the body operates in a compensatory, “chain-reaction” manner. Which is to say that when one area of the musculoskeletal system isn’t functioning correctly, the rest of the body shifts and tilts in order to compensate for the problem. For instance, pain in the patella (kneecap), also known as Patella Femoral Syndrome (Knee Cap Pain) is often caused by imbalances in the quadriceps muscles of the thigh that attach to and move the patella. These imbalances frequently start in the lower spine, most often in the sacroiliac joint. It’s not unlike the old song, “…the knee bones connected to the thigh bone…”. From our head to our toes, we are one, whole, organic structure. That is why challenges are never isolated. So, now you know that your back can affect your knees, but it’s not always the culprit! For example, reduced foot mechanics due to foot pain generally causes painful knee problems as well. In addition, poor knee tracking due to improper gait patterns, such as pronation (walking like a duck with toes pointed out rather than straight ahead), can cause stress on the knee joints and extreme pain over time. And, lastly, excess body weight and, not to bum out the ladies, but the wearing of high heels on a regular basis can cause knee problems over time.
Happily, chiropractic treatment can reestablish healthy muscle balance, restore appropriate movement to the patella and other knee joints, and adjust subluxations of the sacroiliac joints or bones of the foot. Knee replacement surgery in an attempt to relieve knee pain should be a last resort!
It it vitally important that you never disregard knee pain, or “play through” knee pain, or continue walking in those lovely Jimmy Choo heels when your knees are aching. Pain is the body’s way of alerting you to the fact that something is wrong. If knee problems are left untreated, the tissues of the knee joint, particularly the cartilage, will continue to degenerate. And, changes, such as bone spurs, can occur if the bones begin to rub on one another.
Musculoskeletal problems, such as knee pain and degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis), generally increase as a person ages. However, no matter what your age is today, right this minute you are younger than you will ever be again. See your Dallas Chiropractor today…for tomorrow’s sake!