How Chiropractic Care Helps Knee Pain

Any painful joint can lead to disability and reduced quality of life. However, knee pain is particularly difficult to deal with. 

But beyond just the pain itself, knee issues can also lead to worse overall health.

Think about it: our knees have to support the entirety of our bodyweight anytime we stand or walk throughout the day. When our knees can’t accomplish this task, how do we adjust? For most of us, we sit more often and reduce our activity. As a result, we suffer the effects of a more sedentary lifestyle. These effects can include any or all of the following: 

• Heart disease.
• Blood sugar issues (diabetes).
• Obesity.
• Many other diseases/health problems.

Luckily, there are many skilled practitioners who can help patients deal with knee pain. Chiropractors are capable of helping patients both decrease their current knee pain and prevent the issue from ever occurring again.

All About Knees

As far as joints of the body are concerned, the movements of the knee are fairly straightforward. Essentially, all the knee does is bend, straighten, and rotate ever so slightly. 

That being said, the knee, just like all other joints, is wonderfully complex in its structure. 

To start, the large thigh bone (femur) sits atop the shin bone (tibia). Between these two bones are structures that provide cushioning, known as the menisci. On either side of these two bones and between them are various tendons, ligaments, and muscles. This system of hearty bones and other strong supports enables our knees to support our weight when we stand, walk, and move.

To “cap” it all off, in front of the junction between these two large bones rests the patella (kneecap). The kneecap is supported by the very strong quadriceps tendon and patellar tendon on the top and bottom respectively. The kneecap acts as part of a “pulley” system, which increases the efficiency of knee motions.

With the above basic review of knee anatomy and physiology, one can easily see how if a single part of this system is not working properly, pain and dysfunction result.

Common Causes of Knee Pain

There are many different specific issues that could cause knee pain. For this reason, it’s usually best to discuss knee pain in terms of broader categories.

Traumatic Injuries

Perhaps the easiest type of injury to picture is the traumatic knee injury. For instance, when a football player gets tackled from the side, the extreme force placed through the knee causes tons of damage. 

Traumatic injuries can cause damage to bones, ligaments, nerves, tendons, and muscles.

Overuse/Misuse Injuries

Those who actively participate in athletic pursuits tend to develop knee pain at one point or another. This is especially true for runners who either don’t run with proper form or completely overdo it on their mileage. 

Overuse and misuse injuries tend to cause the supportive structures of the knee to wear down, leading to pain and modified walking mechanics.

Referred Pain

Referred pain is a condition in which one area of the body is damaged/affected in some way, but the pain is felt elsewhere. To be honest, there aren’t a ton of conditions that will refer pain to the knee. However, there are some, and this type of pain bears consideration when diagnosing your knee pain.

Referred knee pain often resolves immediately once the underlying issue is addressed.

Chiropractic Care and Knee Pain

How do chiropractors help with knee pain? To answer simply: in many ways! 

Chiropractic manipulations improve range of motion throughout the body. Furthermore, they reestablish connections between the nervous system and painful body regions. This can help with almost any condition.

If you’re looking for a Noblesville chiropractor, book your appointment with Anchor Health Chiropractic today!