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Medical Knee Pain Pain Treatment Yorkville IL

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

Chiropractors – Helping Alleviate Back Pain, One Treatment at a Time

Back pain is a problem that affects 15-20% of all Americans every year. From the general rigors of every day work to the excess weight many carry around on their body, back pain gets to us all. However, there is an easy and non-invasive way to that very pain. Chiropractors have worked for over a hundred years, perfecting their art and liberate people from their back pain.

Causes of Back Pain

For most people, back pain is usually moderate to severe. For most, the cause of pain is simply the rigors of a busy life. For others, it is a consequence of obesity. However, depending on the weight of the person and the extent of their current back pain, the pain can naturally vanish or may become worse.

Techniques

Most chiropractors use a range of techniques such as spinal manipulation and mobilization to help the joints in the spinal column enjoy a greater degree of freedom, alleviating back pain. For example, many spinal manipulation techniques help realign the spinal column and bring it back into its original form. However, this requires multiple treatments. Then again, spinal mobilization is a gentler technique many chiropractors use to treat patients.

Reasons for Preference

Possibly the most important reason why over 40 million Americans prefer their chiropractors to regular physicians is the fact that they use non-invasive techniques to alleviate pain. Without using drugs and surgery, the risk of side effects and infection is virtually zero.

Another reason why most people prefer chiropractors to regular physicians is due to the fear of pain. Regular medication may prove to be discomforting or painful, as in the case of surgery. Fortunately, the alternative is not.

Chiropractors use their hands at certain points to help your body not only relax but adjust itself to a better spinal position. By combining adjunctive therapy with spinal mobilization, not only are they able to ‘work out the kinks’ but ensure that the pain does not happen again, at least for a while. You need to remember that most long-lasting effects are obtained through constant periodic treatment.

Chiropractors have spent over a century trying to perfect their art and help people without ever having to make an incision or provide harmful drugs. Using their hands and the body itself, they are able to not only help alleviate back pain but also prevent it – one treatment at a time.

Image used under Creative Commons Licensing: Chiropractor by doctorwonder

Treatment and Prevention of Muscle Cramps during Exercise

Muscle cramps that are caused by exercise can be very painful and can cause athletes to drop out of competitions. Muscle cramps can happen in any types of sports and are usually a result of muscle fatigue, a loss of electrolytes or dehydration.

Cramps are not limited to sports, they can happen even to people who are not involved in any type of sports. Repetitive cramps can be healed by a chiropractor by aligning the vertebrae correctly in the spine using various techniques.

Causes of Cramps

The American College of Sports Medicine published a review on the causes of muscle cramps during exercise – two possible causes were identified that lead to muscle cramps.

The first was credited to muscle fatigue. Neuromuscular systems are embedded into muscles to allow control of contraction of the muscles. When this system malfunctions, contraction of muscle takes place and then causes the cramps.

Muscles that are regularly used, such as those of an athlete or a person with a very active lifestyle, are at a higher risk of experiencing cramps or spasms.

The second major cause is a result of an excessive fluid loss from the body (sweat), which decreases the body’s electrolytes level. This depletes the body of sodium.

Body’s Natural Cooling System

The body is designed to cool itself by sweating when body temperature starts to rise beyond normal levels. The loss of electrolytes due to sweating can cause depletion of body’s electrolytes and if it is not replenished properly, it will cause cramps.

What are Electrolytes?

Electrolytes are minerals including sodium, chloride, magnesium and potassium. They are dissolved in the body and directly control the required muscle contractions and nerve conductions.

Consuming bananas to treat muscle cramps has no solid ground and there is no evidence to support such a remedy.

Treating Muscle Cramps

– Fatigued Muscles

Treatment of muscle cramps depends upon the initial cause. For those people who experience a muscle cramp due to a strenuous workload such as exercise or sports, chiropractors recommend treatments such as a massage, application of cold packs to the affected muscles and passive stretching.

Proper rest must be given to those muscles which have experienced an overload due to stress.

– Cramps due to Loss of Electrolytes

For those people who suffer from cramps as a result of excessive sweating and a deficit of sodium, the same methods of treatment can be used besides replenishing the lost fluid levels.

Image Used Under Creative Commons Licensing: 111002-A-XY792-430 by Minnesota National Guard

Dietary Tips

A Good Diet Equals Healthy Living

In order to live a healthy lifestyle, there are some essential nutrients which need to be present in your diet. A good chiropractor will also include a diet plan in his treatments to reduce the risk of disease. Here are some dietary tips you can use to improve your health.

Avoid Junk Food

Avoid junk foods with low nutritional values and additives such as artificial flavoring and coloring, as most of them contain chemicals that your body isn’t familiar with and can cause certain problems such as abdominal pain, diarrhea and irritable bowel movements.

Eat Foods with Good Nutritional Values

Let’s suppose a person has a calorie requirement of 1600 calories a day. He can either get these calories from healthy foods with good nutritional values, such as beans, vegetables or salads, or he can get them through unhealthy foods such as bagels, donuts or junk food. The calorie requirement is the same but he would be getting a more nutritious diet by choosing the former option, thus making him healthier.

Add Unrefined and Uncooked Foods in Your Diet

Natural foods contain relatively more nutrients as compared to their refined counterparts. For example, refined flour lacks the fiber and other nutrients that whole grain contains. Cooking can also destroy many of the beneficial nutrients in food, so it is important to add some raw fruits and vegetables in your diet to balance out the nutrient requirement.

Avoid Fried Food Items

Though they may seem tempting, a high consumption of fried foods can directly lead to certain health problems such as high cholesterol and heart problems. If you live a busy lifestyle which doesn’t give you time to exercise, fried foods can also cause obesity.

Don’t Use Too Much Salt and Sugar

Too much salt results in high blood pressure, increasing the likelihood of developing health problems. High levels of sugar can also increase the risk of diabetes. Try to reduce the amount of salt or sugar you use in food items.

Ask Your Chiropractor for Advice

As most chiropractors have information on nutritional requirements, you can ask your chiropractor to advise you further on what you should include and what you should exclude from your diet. A chiropractor can also formulate you a proper diet plan which you can follow to stay healthy.

Image used under Creative Commons Licensing: A Matched Set by Tony Alter

Chiropractic Treatment Serves As a Pain Management Alternative

The term “pain management” calls up different images to different people. Some envision recurring trips to the pharmacy for painkillers, while others think of corrective surgery. Fortunately, however, there is another method that requires neither — chiropractic care and associated natural therapies, as offered by our team at Priority Health. Let us look at how these therapeutic modalities work to reduce or even eliminate pain and inflammation while encouraging the body’s natural healing powers.

Acute Pain – If you have suffered an injury, you may be dealing with pain caused by pinched nerves, torn muscles and inflammation at the injury site. In many such cases a spinal misalignment is either a cause or a contributing factor, pushing discs against nerves or subjecting the muscles to excessive stress. By relieving the impingements or tissue strain, we can relieve the source of your pain and allow healing to begin. Massage therapy is another useful technique for reducing soft tissue pain and inflammation without drugs.
Chronic pain – Some conditions such as osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia have no ready cure, leaving sufferers to cope with chronic pain. In these situations our goal shifts to getting the pain under control while improving function as much as possible. Since impaired nerve function plays a major role in pain sensitivity and sensation, spinal adjustments can often make a big difference in the level of perceived pain. At the same time, massage therapy can loosen and relax muscles that tend to go into spasm from these abnormal nerve signals; certain massage techniques can also relieve the painful knots caused by fibromyalgia.

Pain Relief from Our Yorkville Chiropractors
If you are looking for a pain management solution that does not require invasive surgery or constant painkillers, talk to our Yorkville Chiropractor. Once we locate the specific cause of your pain, we can employ natural techniques to correct that underlying problem. Whether you have chronic pain or acute pain associated with an injury, we know how to help.

When did your current pain issue first occur? Tell us your story!

We also have a medical team on board as well to provide further treatment if needed.

Call today 630.553.7737

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