Article provided by Dr. Felix Rippy
An experienced chiropractor knows from experience that knee problems can cause extreme pain and can many time 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 get older, are viewed as “non-trauma knee problems.” In other words, most knee problems are not due to a sudden injury to the knee, but instead develop because of long-term dysfunction and stress 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 “extreme” knee pain.
Would it surprise you to know that experienced chiropractors, treat almost as many patients with knee pain as they do patients with back problems? It’s true! But, chiropractors, would see fewer knee problems if more individuals went 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 functions in a corrective, “chain-reaction” manner. Which is to say that when one area of the musculoskeletal system isn’t functioning properly, the rest of the system shifts and tilts in order to compensate for the problem. For example, pain in the patella (kneecap), also known as Patella Femoral Syndrome (Knee Cap Pain) is frequently caused by imbalances in the quadriceps muscles of the thigh that attach to and move the patella. These imbalances frequently begin in the low back, especially in the sacroiliac joint. It’s similar to the old song, “…the knee bones connected to the thigh bone…”. From our head to our toes, we are one, whole, organic structure. It is for this reason that chronic challenges are never separated. But, even though you now know how your back can affect your knees, it’s not always the culprit! A case in point, reduced foot function due to foot pain can also cause painful knee problems as well. In addition, poor knee tracking due to unhealthy gait patterns, such as pronation (walking like a duck with toes pointed out rather than straight ahead), can create wear and tear on the knee joints and extreme pain over time. And, finally, excess body weight and, not to bum out the ladies, but the wearing of high heels on a regular basis more often than not causes 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. Your very last resort in attempting to get rid of your knee pain, should be knee replacement surgery! Try a conservative course of chiropractic treatment first.
But, you should never ignore 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 letting you know that there’s a problem that needs correcting. If knee problems are left untreated, knee joint tissue, especially the cartilage, will continue to degenerate. If the bones begin to rub on one another, changes such as bone spurs can occur.
Musculoskeletal problems, such as knee pain and degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis), frequently increase as a person ages. But remember, no matter what your age is today, right this minute you are younger than you will ever be again.
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