Knee injury- how your chiropractor can help

Your chiropractor could be the solution to that knee problem that just won’t go away. The knee is a relatively simple joint which is primarily designed to flex and extend, a bit like a door hinge. Other movements are possible but only within the smallest of degrees. On the other hand joints of the spine, hips and ankles and feet are much more complex. These joints are capable of moving quite freely (and to varying degrees) within the 6 planes of motion which are:

1)       Flexion and extension

2)      Lateral flexion (bending) to the right and left

3)      Rotation (twisting) to the right and left

Your chiropractors ability to restore joint alignment is the key

So what we have when dealing with the knee is a relatively simple joint stuck between the more complicated joint regions of the foot/ankle and hip/pelvis/spine. If the alignment of these areas is not right OR, if movement has been lost (particularly in planes 2 and 3) you have the perfect scenario for a knee injury.

Knees are very resilient and within their limits of motion can handle a lot of work.  BUT, if your knees have to start trying to perform movements they were not designed for (because of problems above and below) you are going to go one of 2 ways:

1)    The land of the treatment merry-go-round going from one practitioner to the next until someone looks further afield for the source of your problem. The common treatments I see people receiving for knee injury are massage, taping, quadriceps strengthening and stretching. These are all great if the knee is the source of the problem, and if so you knee will get better and stay that way.

2)    Avoiding he activities you enjoy. Usually the first to go are the high impact activities that involve any running or jumping. Over time left uncorrected even lesser activities such as going on long walks, getting in and out of the car and climbing stairs become problematic. Finally the last resort of a knee replacement is thrown at you….which is of course after you have had a few arthroscopic surgeries to clean your knees out and some cortisone injections along the way as well.

There are a lot of trials going on at the moment injecting different things into the knee to help speed recovery (such as plasma cells) which can help. Remember though, that unless the real cause of the problem is addressed these too are ultimately going to fail.

So, full a full and comprehensive chiropractic approach to knee pain, book in to see one of our chiropractors today at Better Health Stanmore on 9518 0722

Yours in Better Health,

Dr Andrew Richards (Chiropractor)