What is it with knee pain? You can be having a great time walking, biking, or running, when all of a sudden your knee starts to hurt. Well, as it is with many injuries, knee pain is often due to a build-up of stresses with the actual pain being the final signal that something is wrong. Imbalances between muscle, tendon, and bone interplay are often the culprits. Conditions such as osteoarthritis, meniscus or ligament injuries are other causes of knee pain and will be addressed in a future post. But for now, here are three common knee conditions we see and treat in our chiropractic clinic in Guelph.
1. Patello-Femoral Syndrome
Patello-Femoral syndrome usually involves knee pain that is felt under the knee cap or around the knee. It is described as aching or stiffness in the knee and is aggravated with going up or down stairs, sitting for prolonged periods, and crouching down. The condition refers to misalignment or maltracking of the knee cap (patella) on the femur and can be caused by tight muscles on the outer portion of the knee, weak muscles on the inner portion of the knee, or poor biomechanical factors either higher or lower along the mechanical chain (i.e. foot, hip dysfunction).
2. Iliotibial band syndrome (ITB)
The iliotibial band (ITB) is a section of thickened fascia that runs along from the hip down to the outside of the knee. ITB Syndrome may be due to repetitive flexion-extension of the knee. It may also be a product of muscular imbalance. In either case the area on the outside of the knee may undergo inflammation or irritation from the band rubbing along the femoral condyle (knobby outcropping of bone). Symptoms of ITB Syndrome include pain localized to the lateral aspect of the knee or it can travel up towards the outside of the hip. Although it is commonly associated with running and cycling athletes it is also present in the general population.
3. Jumper’s Knee (Patellar Tendinopathy)
Jumper’s knee or Patellar Tendinopathy is often seen as an overuse injury from repetitive loading of the extensor muscles (quadriceps) in the knee. It is common in sports that involve jumping and quick movements such as volleyball, basketball or soccer. Symptoms include a dull ache in the front of the knee often accompanied by stiffness and swelling.
Treatment for these common conditions of knee pain respond well to conservative care which may include both self-directed and in-clinic chiropractic components.
Self-directed care:
Taking a break to rest inflamed tissue is important in many knee conditions. It’s necessary to know when to return to normal activities or athletic training and when to back off and take a break or switch activities. For example, an activity like biking or running may need to be temporarily stopped and swimming encouraged instead.
Icing inflamed joints and tendons helps to, you guessed it, reduce the inflammation.
Stretch out tight muscles to allow more ease of movement and efficiency in patellar tracking. Relieving tightness of the gluteus and hamstring muscles is also important and can often help with restoring proper balance to the lower limb chain.
Strengthen the inner muscle groups of the knee (quadriceps, adductors). Squats can be an excellent exercise for this but proper care must be taken to ensure correct form – talk with a chiropractor.
In-clinic chiropractic treatment:
TENS to decrease inflammation and pain.
Myofascial release therapy or joint mobilizations to reduce muscle and joint pain and dysfunction.
Strengthening of weak muscles and stretching of tight muscle antagonists to restore balance.
Addressing other muscle or joint imbalances above or below the knee to ensure the mechanical chain is working well.
Hyalgan may also be used to relieve knee pain due to osteoarthritis. It is used for patients who do not get adequate relief from simple painkillers or from exercise and physical therapy.
For more information on these conditions or other sources of knee pain, contact Priority Health Dr. Paula Weihler
(630) 553-7737