Knee pain is an issue Victoria Chiropractor Dr. Mark Smith has had success treating
Chiropractor for knee pain:
Knee pain is an issue that we deal with often at our clinic and with success. Our success comes from the knowledge that issues in the joints above and below the knee can affect the knee. The anatomy of the joint is complex, but its movement is simple. The knee is actually simple hinge joint that can only move in two directions, kind of like a door for example. It is also the ‘go-between’ point for forces coming up from the foot and down from the hip. This means that issues that cause knee pain can actually come from dysfunction in the pelvis, hip, ankle, and foot
How the foot and ankle can cause knee pain:
Every step you take causes an impact (force) to be transferred up your leg into your knee. Normally, the foot has a nice arch to it and the ankle is flexible. An arch in your foot and ankle flexibility allows you to cushion these forces. With injury, overuse, or neglect, the ankle can become stiff and immobile and the arch of the foot can flatten. When this happens, the foot and ankle are rigid and can no longer absorb force when you step. This pressure is transferred to the knee and problems develop. The tendons, cartilage, and ligaments are forced to absorb the added pressure and can develop injury.
How can chiropractic help when knee pain is being caused by the foot and ankle?
A chiropractic exam for proper bony alignment and mobility of the ankle and foot can be performed. This helps determine if there is a structural or mechanical issue in the foot and ankle. If there is, we can help restore the proper mobility and alignment of the foot and ankle. As a result, we decrease the abnormal forces travelling to the knee and put the knee back into balance.
How the hip and pelvis can cause knee pain:
The hips and pelvis hold up the weight of your entire upper body. Therefore, a balanced pelvis is a happy pelvis. In other words, the pelvis is not dropped to one side, twisted, or moving improperly. The major joints of the pelvis are called the ‘sacroiliac joints’ (or S.I. joints for short). Just like the spine or any other joint of the body, these joints can lose their movement and proper position and become ‘stuck’. As a result, the pelvis compensates and becomes twisted or torqued and can send imbalanced forces downward into the knee. Consequently, imbalanced forces add up on the soft tissue of the knee and begin to cause damage and pain. In a similar way, the hip joint itself can become ‘stuck’ and dysfunctional. The ‘hip’ is the actual ball-socket joint in the pelvis where your leg attaches. Radiating pain into the thigh and down to the knee is a common sensation when this happens. A ‘pinching’ sensation when taking your hip into a full range of motion is also common. By restoring motion and alignment to the S.I. joints and hip joints through chiropractic care, knee pain and dysfunction is often solved.
How can chiropractic help when knee pain is being caused by the hip or pelvis?
A chiropractic physical exam for proper structure and movement of the pelvis and hips is performed. In addition, we use xrays of the pelvis and hips to determine exactly how the pelvis might be misaligned and to check for pathology like arthritis. If there is a structural issue, we can help restore balance to the pelvis and proper movement to the hips and S.I. joints through chiropractic care. As a result, we decrease the abnormal forces travelling down towards the knee and put the knee back into balance as well.
What else might be causing my knee pain?
Knee pain is occasionally caused by things that chiropractic cannot help. These include things like:
- Muscular weaknesses imbalances and tension in the legs (which are common and are good thing to consult a physiotherapist for)
- Past injuries to the knee
- Meniscus and ligament tears
- Overweight/obesity
- Repetitive stress
- Advanced arthritis/degeneration (although we can often still get positive results despite this condition!)
- Pathologies like cysts or tumors (however these are very uncommon)
By no means is chiropractic a cure-all for knee pain. A thorough chiropractic exam and history should give both the doctor and patient a clearer idea of what the problem is, however. From there, we can develop a plan to see how we can best help you get back to living life on your terms!