Is your knee clicking, swollen or is there a constant ache when walking ?
The knee joint is one of the utilised joints in the body both assisting weight bearing and lower limb mobility. Imagine how often you use your knee joint – walking, running, sitting, bending. Let us reassure you, knee pain is often a common complaint and most often responds well to conservative care including chiropractic care, massage, exercise and dry needling. There is a large range of structures constituting the knee, hence a range of joint and/or soft tissue structures may be affected resulting in pain, stiffness or even difficulty bending, walking and/or running.
Common issues arising within the knee may include poor mechanics or overuse of the knee joint, traumatic injuries possibly from sports or falls, and problems associated with arthritic changes in the joint. This can result in pain below the knee cap, pain inside of the knee, referred knee pain, and other swelling, stiffness or tenderness.
Poor mechanics of the knee is usually the most common cause of non-traumatic knee pain. Imbalance in other muscle groups that attach to the knee can also lead to pain and dysfunction. Usual treatment for mechanical or overuse injuries to the knee is to re-establish proper balance of the muscles, restore movement to the knee cap and other closely linked joints.
Arthritis is also a common cause of knee pain. This usually presents in the form of degeneration of knee cartilage, exposing the bare bone of the knee joint. Pain, stiffness, and decreased range of motion are common in arthritic knees. Swelling can also occur in the area, which is usually due to fluid on the knee. The knee joint holds a lot of fluid in a capsule behind the thigh. If the joint is damaged, this fluid can accumulate around the joint, resulting in swelling.
Diagnosis of knee injuries requires a full history of problems, and physical examination. At Synergy our conservative approach will aim to reduce swelling and inflammation in the area, and adjustments to the knee and periphery can help restore range of movement following knee injuries where appropriate.
