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The most common causes of knee pain.
Abnormal alignment of knee cap: If the knee cap isn't lined up just right, it can rub on other bones and cause pain.
This usually causes pain behind the knee cap.
Arthritis: Progressive breakdown of the slippery cartilage within the knee joint.
Pain can be behind the knee cap or within the knee joint. It can also refer up or down the leg.
Tendinitis: When a tendon is overloaded over time, it can become inflamed.
There are many tendons in the knee. We can usually tell if a tendon is involved after a brief examination.
Meniscus Injury: The meniscus helps cushion the knee. Damage to the meniscus can be very painful.
The pain is usually felt within the knee joint. We can perform special tests that indicate if a meniscus injury has occurred.
Bursitis: A bursa is a fluid filled structure designed to reduce friction. When a bursa overloaded it can become inflamed and painful.
Click on any of these conditions to learn what you can do to get better.
Click above to schedule your Free Knee Pain Analysis. In that appointment, we will give you a report that shows the cause of your pain and your best plan to get better.
Abnormal alignment of knee cap.
The medical term for the knee cap is the "patella". The patella should fit correctly in the front of the knee so that it glides up and down between two knuckles on the end of the thigh bone (femur).
If the patella is not aligned perfectly, it can rub on one of these two knuckles. This is called "Patello-Femoral Malalignment". This can be painful and over time it can wear down the protective cartilage over the bone, leading to permanent damage.
Tight and / or weak muscles in the thigh can be part of the reason that the patella comes our of normal alignment.
Learn what can be done to correct this condition and become active again without pain.
What can be done about Patello-Femoral Malalignment?
Usually there are up to three main causes for the patella to be aligned incorrectly on the femur:
- Tight ITB
The ITB is a band that runs down the outside of the thigh. If this is too tight, it can pull the patella out toward the outside of the knee.
To correct this tightness, an ITB stretch can be very effective. - Weak Quads
One part of the Quads muscle is more responsible for keeping the patella in place. If this muscle is weak, it will allow the patella to fall out of alignment.
Most people can strengthen this muscle with a couple of simple exercises. - Bony alignment
In some people, the leg bones just don't line up correctly. In many of these cases, this can be corrected with shoe inserts.
Click above to schedule your Free Knee Pain Analysis. In that appointment, we will give you a report that shows the cause of your pain and your best plan to get better.
What can be done about Arthritis Pain?
If we live long enough, we will all get arthritis. 60-70% of people over 50 have arthritis. But that doesn't mean it has to affect our activity level significantly. Many people function at a high level with arthritis.
There are a few keys to relieving knee pain caused by arthritis. The most important things that you can do are to strengthen and improve flexibility in the correct muscles.
The muscles in the leg provide much of the stability to the knee. So if these muscles are not equipped to do their job, the arthritis will cause more pain.
So many of our arthritic patients have returned to the activities they love through this approach. We can show you how to strengthen and stretch effectively and without hurting.
Click above to schedule your Free Knee Pain Analysis. In that appointment, we will give you a report that shows the cause of your pain and your best plan to get better.
What can be done about Tendinitis?
A tendon is a structure that attaches a muscle to a bone. It is not uncommon for a tendon to become overloaded and irritated over time. Usually this occurs through repetitive of relatively strenuous activity.
The first thing that needs to be done is to determine the activities that are irritating the tendon. Then those activities need to be altered or stopped so that the tendon can heal.
After that, you should find the best ways to promote healing of the tendon. There are plenty of ways that this can be accomplished. Modalities such as ultrasound, dry-needling, electric stimulation and taping can be very effective.
The important thing to know is that the approach should be different for each tendon and for each patient.
Click above to schedule your Free Knee Pain Analysis. In that appointment, we will give you a report that shows the cause of your pain and your best plan to get better.
What can be done about Meniscus Injury?
Acute meniscus injuries usually occur when there is some kind of twisting of the knee while the foot is planted. Many more chronic meniscus injuries are a result of repetitive load over a longer period of time.
A meniscus tear isn't necessarily a real problem. Many people have meniscus tears without even knowing it. Most tears won't heal without surgery but many of these don't need surgery in order for the pain to go away.
What can be done that doesn't involve surgery?
- Stretching to normalize the muscle flexibility around the knee. It is particularly important for the hamstring to be flexible. If it is not, that can further irritate the meniscus.
- Modalities to reduce inflammation and promote healing of the knee. These include:
Ice
Electrical Stimulation
Moist Heat
Taping
Dry-Needling - Strengthening of the muscles around the knee in order to stabilize the knee better and therefore allow healing.
- Inserts in your shoes to promote normal alignment of the knee.
- Functional training to restore normal movement patterns.
Click above to schedule your Free Knee Pain Analysis. In that appointment, we will give you a report that shows the cause of your pain and your best plan to get better.
What can be done about Bursitis?
There are a number of bursa in and around the knee joint. The key to eliminating bursitis pain is to reduce its swelling.
This can initially be achieved with modalities such as ice. However, the cause of the swelling must also be found and corrected, otherwise the problem will keep coming back.
In many cases, tight and / or weak muscles are part of the cause of bursitis.
The first step to feeling better is to identify the specific bursa that is inflamed. That may be achieved during a clinical examination. After that, we can provide you with a plan to get better and stay better.
Click above to schedule your Free Knee Pain Analysis. In that appointment, we will give you a report that shows the cause of your pain and your best plan to get better.
Do you have a question about knee pain?
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These are not the only causes of knee pain. Knee pain should be addressed to prevent further problems. Call (504) 407-9003 for guidance.
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