In today’s world, knee pain is an extremely common complaint and there are many causes for it. At the Back to Health Chiropractic & Acupuncture Wellness Center, we know it is crucial to make a correct diagnosis on a knee injury in order to decide on the appropriate treatment.
What causes knee pain?
Some common reasons people will experience knee pain are; ligament damage, meniscus (cartilage) tears and inflammation, and runner’s knee. But the knee joint is very complicated, and there’s a lot more that can go wrong with it.
Bursitis : A bursa is a fluid filled sac that acts as a shock absorber. There are bursas located all over the body but because of the constant shock absorbing conditions that the knee experiences, irritation and inflammation of the knee bursas are very common. Overuse and repeated deep knee bending can irritate the bursa, causing pain and swelling. A ”Baker’s cyst” is swelling of one of the bursas in the knee.
Iliotibial Band Syndrome: The iliotibial band is a thick tissue that runs from your hip down to your shin. It acts as one of the main stabilizers of the knee. If it is irritated, most commonly from overuse, it can get swollen and cause pain on the outside of the knee.
Osgood-Schlatter Disease : Most common in children, Osgood Schlatter Disease is tenderness and pain at the bump on the knee just below the knee cap. The Patellar (knee cap) tendon is a thick tendon that attaches the patella to the tibia (shin bone). With prolonged running and kicking, the quad muscles will contract and overtime, if used too much, will begin to pull the patellar tendon at its attachment to the tibia. This condition causes a painful bump below the knee.
What treatments can help with knee pain & injuries?
In addition, if an x-ray or an MRI is warranted, Dr. Erik will write a referral to a diagnostic imaging location to have the pertinent images taken. If something shows on the radiology films and report, such as a ligament or meniscus tear, Dr. Erik will make the appropriate referral to a specialist who can provide the care you need and deserve.
Call our office to begin addressing your knee pain or injury today!
What treatments can help with knee pain & injuries?