One-third of people in the United States suffer from knee pain each year. It’s the second most common cause of chronic pain. The knee is one of the most complex joints in the body and consists of four bones and supporting ligaments and cartilage. Due to this complexity and the role they play in movement, the knees are susceptible to deterioration, injury, and subsequent pain.
Together, we will create a personalized treatment plan catered to YOUR body, YOUR pain points and YOUR speed. What is right for one won’t be right for another. We specialize in the following methods to create a customized treatment plan.
Regardless of the cause of your pain, your chiropractor will create a treatment plan designed for your specific condition. Your treatment plan may include spinal, hip, or knee manipulations to mobilize joints and reduce inflammation. They may also work to correct your posture to evenly distribute weight and lessen the burden of stress on your knee. In addition, myofascial release and trigger point therapy can assist in alleviating stress and improving nutrients to tissue to encourage healing.
When you have a patellar tracking issue, or misalignment of the knee, your kneecap may push into the side of your knee when you bend your knee. This can result in pain. Tracking problems within the knees may also come from alignment issues in the leg and hip as well.
A kneecap can become loose from its regular position if a person hits or falls on the knee. An unstable, loose, or dislocated kneecap is referred to as patellar, or kneecap, instability. Kneecap instability is common during sports and is much more common in younger people.
The twisting of the knee or ACL injuries happen due to a sudden injury or movement to the knee. Most people know when this injury occurs. With conditions such as arthritis, the pain seems to last longer and gets more intense over time. Chiropractic can often alleviate long term pain and assist with treatment of a variety of types of knee injuries.
The pain will eventually go away, but it may not go away without treatment. Chronic pain can be managed with good chiropractic care, as can pain from movement injuries whose pain can be managed until the injury is healed.
As the iliotibial band thickens, it pulls at the area where it connects to the knee. This can result in pain because too much pressure is put on the bursa which then becomes inflamed, swollen, and painful. The other end of the iliotibial band is inserted in the glutes and when this area of the band tightens, it can trigger iliotibial band syndrome. Repeated activity can aggravate the condition.
Several symptoms may be used to diagnose iliotibial band syndrome. Lateral knee pain, or pain on the outside of the knee, is the primary symptom. Other symptoms may include pain that worsens with activity, pain that begins midway through activity, pain that is intense and debilitating, pain in the hip that is accompanied by snapping sounds and feelings, and pain along the lateral thigh.
This condition is often the result of overuse and is commonly seen in bicyclists, long-distance runners, and other athletes who repeatedly squat. It can also be a combination of issues such as poor muscle flexibility, poor training habits, and mechanical imbalances in the lower body. Anatomy issues such as different leg lengths, abnormal pelvis tilt, and bowed legs can also cause iliotibial band syndrome.
Because IT band syndrome often involves a mechanical imbalance aspect, chiropractic care can be a very effective treatment. Your chiropractor will likely first check for lumbar spine subluxations which are often the root of the problem. Spinal adjustments will correct these imbalances as well as support healing by increasing blood flow and lowering inflammation in affected areas of the body.
IT band syndrome may take 4 to 8 weeks of rest and treatment to completely heal. This is a great time to work on healing your entire body by avoiding activities that cause pain and discomfort.
Diagnosis can typically be made without the use of complicated tests. Your doctor will ask you about your medical history and injuries and do a full exam. If there is doubt about the diagnosis or your symptoms remain after rest and treatment, or your doctor may want to do an MRI to get a better view of the inside structures of the knee.
Maintaining strength and flexibility in the lower extremities can help prevent IT band syndrome. If you start to feel pain, activity should be modified to prevent further injury and allow the area to heal.
Symptoms of an ACL knee injury typically include a popping sensation or loud, audible pop in the knee, severe pain, inability to continue activity, loss of range of motion and flexibility, rapid swelling, and a feeling of giving away or instability when trying to bear weight.
Ligaments connect bone to bone and ACL injuries typically happen during fitness or sports activities that put stress on the knee such as pivoting when your foot is firmly planted, suddenly slowing down and changing directions, landing from a jump, suddenly stopping, or receiving a direct blow to the knee. When the ligament is damaged it can be a strain but is usually a partial or complete tear of the tissue.
Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (or the R.I.C.E. method) should be used immediately after an ACL injury. Physical therapy or surgery may be needed for treatment depending on the severity of the injury. At a foundational level, chiropractic care can assist in the functioning of the nervous system and overall health which will promote healing. Chiropractic manipulation of the knee joint may be beneficial in restoration of motion of the knee and full function of the joint, particularly in an ACL sprain. While the chiropractic manipulation of the knee joint is still imperative for proper function of the knee joint following an ACL tear, it clearly won’t recreate the connection of fibers torn. Stem Cell therapy is an excellent treatment for regenerating tissue.
Left untreated, an ACL injury can develop into chronic ACL deficiency. This makes the ligament unable to support and control knee movement. This increase in weakness can result in further damage to the knee.
Some ACL’s that are partially torn may heal without surgery. However, a fully or complete tear of the ACL will rarely heal on its own without medical intervention and proper medical care.
ACL injuries are more prominent in teenagers to 30-year-olds. This is due to the activities of the people in that age range. However, anyone outside of that age range can still suffer from an ACL related injury.
An ACL injury is a sprain or tear of the ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, of the knee. This ligament helps connect the thigh bone to the shinbone. ACL injuries often occur with sports that involve jumping and landing or sudden stops or changes in direction such as basketball and soccer.
This is an injury to the tendon that connects your kneecap to your shinbone. Patellar tendonitis is also called jumper’s knee and is most common in athletes whose sports involve frequent jumping such as volleyball and basketball. However, people who don’t participate in these sports may also get patellar tendonitis.
The first symptom of this condition is pain between the kneecap and where the tendon attaches to the shinbone. You may only feel pain with physical activity or at the end of your workout in the beginning. However, the pain will likely worsen and interfere with all activity. Eventually the pain will interfere with daily movements, even less strenuous ones than you participate in when playing sports.
This type of injury is an overuse injury which results in tiny tears in the tendon that your body will try to repair. As the tears multiply, inflammation and pain will weaken the tendon. Tendon damage that persists for more than a few weeks is called tendinopathy.
Anti-inflammatory medication and pain relievers often provide short term relief from pain caused by patellar tendonitis. Gentle manipulations and adjustments by a chiropractor to the knee and surrounding joints can help reduce pain and inflammation to get you on the road to recovery faster. Regenerative Medicine such as stem cells can also accelerate recovery.
With rest and conservative treatment, patellar tendonitis will typically go away within six to eight weeks.
If left untreated, the pain and soreness may become debilitating and affect your athletic performance. In severe cases, you may not be able to participate in your activities at all.
Treatment of patellar tendonitis typically begins with rest and over the counter medication at home. Many athletes find that these measures are enough to resolve symptoms in a few weeks. However, in some cases, you may find that other treatments, such as chiropractic or stem cell injections, speed the healing process.
Symptoms of patellofemoral syndrome often start gradually and increase with activity. Pain is often a dull, aching pain in the front of the knee and may be present in one or both knees. Pain that worsens with activities or exercises that repeatedly bend the knee such as jumping, running, or climbing stairs is a common symptom, as is pain after sitting for a long period of time with the knees bent. Popping or snapping sounds in the knees when climbing stairs or standing after sitting a long time is also a common symptom.
Doctors aren’t positive what causes patellofemoral syndrome, but it’s been associated with weaknesses or imbalances of the muscles, overuse, and injuries or trauma to the kneecap. Knee surgery, particularly to the ACL, is also a risk factor.
Treatment for patellofemoral syndrome typically includes rest, ice, and anti-inflammatory medications. Runner’s knee also typically responds very well to chiropractic care. The chiropractor may perform various chiropractic manipulations and alignments to the spine, hip, knee, and ankle to bring the body back into balance. Your chiropractor may also recommend other complementary treatments such as massage, stretches, and more that will aid in healing.
It can take as long as five to six months to heal completely, especially if the pain was brought on by some type of physical trauma or injury.
If left untreated, the condition may cause weakness of your knee that causes problems running, cycling, walking, and more. Patellofemoral syndrome responds best to treatment when it is found and treated early.
Runner’s knee, or patellofemoral syndrome, often results in pain that gets worse with activity and patellar tendonitis causes pain that decreases with activity as the tendon warms up.
This painful syndrome results in pain in the front of your knee and around your kneecap. It is sometimes called runner’s knee because it is most common in people that participate in sports that involve running and jumping. The pain often increases when running or walking, sitting for long periods of time, or squatting. Rest and ice are often treatments of choice, but additional treatments are often needed to ease the pain.
This condition results in swelling and pain below the knee joint where the patellar tendon attaches to the shinbone. Inflammation may also be found in the patellar tendon that stretches over the top of the kneecap. Osgood Schlatter’s Disease is most common in young athletes who play sports that require a lot of running or jumping.
Symptoms of this condition include pain in both or one knee, pain when straightening the knee or fully squatting, pain when running or going up and down stairs, swelling in the tibial tuberosity, pain that lessens with rest, and skin over the tibial tuberosity that is inflamed and red.
Osgood Schlatter’s Disease is caused by irritation of the growth plate due to high levels of stress put on the plate. The tendon from the kneecap attaches to the growth plate on the tibial leg bone. The thigh muscles attach to the patella and when they pull on the patella, it puts tension on the patellar tendon, which then pulls on the growth plate of the tibia. This can cause the tissue around the growth plate to swell and hurt.
Rest and ice are often the conservative treatments recommended by doctors. A knee brace or patellar immobilizer can also take stress off the patella and reduce pain. Chiropractic treatments also help reduce inflammation and pain through gentle adjustments and stretching methods.
The quadricep leg muscles are joined to the tibial tuberosity by a tendon. When the muscles pull on the tendon, it may dislodge the bone, called a partial avulsion fracture. The body repairs the fracture by adding extra bone tissue which results in a larger than normal bump at the tibial tuberosity.
The condition will eventually resolve on its own and won’t cause permanent damage. However, the bump that formed on the shin may cause a change in pain level or function depending on the size.
The condition usually goes away when the bones quit growing, which is typically when the teen reaches 14 to 18 years of age.
The most common symptom is pain, especially when extending the leg. The pain can be extreme if pieces of the meniscus get stuck between the shin bone and thigh bone. In both partial and full tears there will be swelling and potentially bruising. Patients may also feel weakness in their knee or hear popping sounds.
There are two main causes of tears in the meniscus – degenerative conditions and injuries. Many times, the injuries occur when the knee is bent and bearing weight and twists. Oftentimes, meniscus tears are part of a larger injury, such as a ligament injury.
Treatment for a meniscus tear depends on how severe the tear is. If it is partial and doesn’t result in a lot of pain, the injury may only need therapy to get back into shape and eliminate pain. If a tear is complete, causes a lot of pain, or limits range of motion, surgery may be needed to repair the torn cartilage. Mild to moderate tears can be successfully treated with chiropractic techniques. These may include soft tissue work, gentle adjustments, and other therapies to correct abnormal mechanics. Cellular therapy is especially effective at regenerating and repairing meniscus injuries.
There are different types and severity of meniscus tears. Some of them will heal on their own without much treatment. Others require surgery for complete healing and repair.
After surgery for meniscus tears, you may be required to wear a knee brace to limit knee rotation and flexion to protect the meniscus from movement and weight bearing. Braces may also be worn to support the knee when doing physical therapy and other treatment modalities.
Meniscus tears are the most frequently treated knee injury and with conservative, non-surgical treatment, most will heal within six to eight weeks.
There are a variety of injuries that result in pain in the knee and one of those is issues with the meniscus. These injuries happen when the cartilage is torn, usually due to a twisting movement when the knee is bearing weight. Tears may be partial or total and result in minor pain or significant pain.
Arthritis of the knee is inflammation in the joint that results in pain, stiffness, and swelling. It can make everyday activities hard and is a major cause of lost time at work and disability for many people. The most common types of knee arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, although there are many more forms of the disease.
A knee joint that is affected by arthritis may exhibit symptoms such as stiffness, swelling, pain and swelling that is worse in the morning or after resting for long periods, and pain that gets worse with vigorous activity. Knees may lock or stick during movement and create a clicking, snapping, creaking, or popping noise due to loose fragments of cartilage in the knee that interfere with smooth movement.
Knee arthritis is due to the loss of cartilage that cushions the knee joint. Risk factors for the condition include being age 40 or older, being overweight, having parents or siblings with the condition, having a previous knee injury such as a torn meniscus or ligament tear, previous knee surgery where damaged cartilage was removed, having a job that involves repetitive knee strain, and having another joint condition that causes joint damage.
As with other types of arthritis, initial treatment will likely be conservative and include minimizing activities that aggravate the condition, losing weight, anti-inflammatory medications, and physical therapy. Chiropractic care can also deliver a non-invasive, gentle adjustment to reduce joint restrictions and misalignments to reduce inflammation and improve function of the nervous system and affected joint. Cellular therapy is quite effective at treating knee arthritis and helping people quickly resume activities they used to enjoy.
It depends. Arthritis pain tends to wax and wane over time. It may not completely go away, but sometimes it feels much better. Pain from an injury improves at first, but if you’re left with a sore joint, you may not be able to do certain activities.
Knees, particularly those with osteoarthritis, make noise from time to time, but most noises are not cause for alarm. Clicking and snapping may be caused when smooth cartilage surfaces wear down and become rough, or when a thickened synovium rubs over the edges of the bone.
Osteoarthritis in the knee may sometimes make your knees feel like they are going to buckle or give out. This is caused by an involuntary response to pain in the quadricep muscles that makes them weak. This can be especially dangerous if it happens when going downstairs or if it causes a loss of balance. Using an assistive device can help prevent injury.
Because the symptoms of knee pain can also mimic other injuries it’s especially important to get a correct diagnosis from a professional, like a chiropractor, to ensure you’re getting the right treatment.
In addition to chiropractic adjustments, your practitioner can also provide guidance on proper rehabilitation exercises to perform at home. These personalized exercises will help you continue to address the root of your problem outside of a practitioner’s office and help to speed your recovery process.
