Even the most basic daily activities like climbing the stairs, getting out of bed, and walking to your car can become painful and difficult when you’re dealing with knee pain. Undoubtedly, knee pain can be debilitating and can have a huge impact on your ability to perform your day to day functions.
The good thing is that patients with knee pain don’t have options available which don’t include taking harmful medications, or severely limiting their activity level. Many patients with knee pain are unaware that chiropractic care can be very helpful at eliminating their pains. Seeking chiropractic care for knee pain can help patients regain mobility and carry out daily tasks that are otherwise difficult with painful knees.
Licensed chiropractors can address not only the knees themselves, but often underlying issues that are causing or making the knee pain worse. A combination of techniques and several angles of approach are considered when treating knee pain through chiropractic care. It is best to seek a proper evaluation to determine what are the major factors contributing to your knee pain and how to correct them.
Causes of Knee Pain
Knee pain can be attributed to several causes including:
Arthritis
Soft tissue damage or inflammation
Poor bio-mechanics of the foot/ankle or hips and lower back
Referred pain or tension from lumbar (lower back) nerves
Bursitis
Obesity
Knowing the cause(s) of knee pain is one of the first steps to seeking a cure. Your chiropractor can help you to properly diagnose the pain and identify the best treatment options for your case.
Chiropractic Techniques that Can Help
There are several techniques that your doctor of chiropractic may utilise that can help with knee pain including:
Trigger point therapy / IASTM. These techniques involve using the hands or specially designed tools to apply pressure and movement to specific points on the body. Precisely applied techniques allow tight or spasmed muscles to relax and help to break down the build up of scar tissue in damaged areas.
Spinal adjustments and posture correction. Poor posture and improper mobility of the spine and body can create an imbalance that can put unwanted pressure on the body’s joints, including the knees. Specific spine and joint adjustments can also help restore balance and alignment to immobile areas. This will also help reduce inflammation and pain, restore knee functionality, and limit wear and tear on the body.
Low-level laser therapy. Also known as cold laser therapy, low-level laser therapy works by stimulating the body’s muscles and soft tissues. Low-level laser therapy helps to reduce inflammation and pain, stimulate the blood flow, and speed up the healing process.
Shockwave therapy. Shockwave therapy utilises a specially designed instrument to apply rapid percussion waves to designated tissues. This aids in pain relief, reduction of scar tissue from old injuries, and neovascularization (growth of new blood vessels into an area).
Lifestyle advice. Some people experience knee pain because of detrimental habits and behaviours. Chiropractors can help patients by giving them advice on the daily habits and exercises they need to make to reduce pain and prevent injuries.
Customised orthotics. In some cases, knee pain may result from poor support or movement of the foot and ankle. Customised supportive insoles may benefit those patients suffering from knee pains due to these reasons.
Nutrition counselling. Chiropractors can also provide nutrition counselling to help patients ensure they are receiving proper nutrients that may aid in their recovery. In some cases, they may also suggest programmes or diets to help patients lose the extra weight and help take excess pressure off the knees and other joints of the body.
Knee pain is not something you have to live with. It is reassuring to know that with the right combination of care under a well-trained doctor of chiropractic, knee issues can be corrected so that you can live pain-free.