When we feel pain in our knees, our ability to walk normally can be affected. Even primary activities like walking, climbing the stairs and bending down will be hard to do. Knee pain is very common not only to older people but to anyone because it goes through a lot of stress by supporting our weight.
Causes behind knee pain
We may experience occasional pain in our knees and it’s normal. But if the pain and aches occur often, there could be a problem. It exists because of some reasons like injury or medical conditions. Arthritis is the most common cause of pain in the knee joints.
Tendonitis or tendon injuries may also be one of the reason. Other reasons include direct trauma, weakness of the muscles, poor body posture and accidents.
It really matters that we know the reason or the root cause as to why our knees are in pain to help us come up with approachable treatment.
Signs of knee injury
There are signs that we need to watch out for when it comes to knee pain. If a knee is swelling and very stiff, weak and unstable, noises during movement and if you cannot straighten your knee, that is the time to look for professional help.
Why you need to see a chiropractor?
The best person to approach when it comes to knee pain is a licensed chiropractor. A chiropractor is a health care professional who provides an alternative medical approach instead of going for surgery of pain killers medicines.
Like doctors, they also undergo training and study health subjects like physiology, anatomy, and health and nutrition. If you don’t understand what a chiropractor actually does, think of it as a compliment to the traditional medical care you are receiving from your medical doctors. They care for pains in muscles, joints or bones. They believed in a conservative way of treating this kind of discomfort and restoring your health over a period of time and offers preventions as well.
Sometimes simple medical doctors aren’t enough
It’s totally understandable if we seek help from a medical doctor the first time we notice that there is something wrong with our knee. More often than not, these doctors will give us medications to relieve the pain and inflammation, if there is. However, if the condition isn’t addressed properly, the pain will continue and sometimes it’ll get worst.
Nowadays, there are doctors that refer their patients to see a chiropractor for better assessment. Chiropractors are not only for back pain and neck pain, but they are also better when it comes to identifying the underlying situation of the knee and its overall function. They can give better judgment as to what types of exercises and treatment to be used to eliminate the pain.
So, what does a chiropractor do?
What a chiropractor will do is first, they will take a record of the patient’s health history to check if he was being seen for knee pain in the past, when the pain started and the causes.
1.   Evaluation
The chiropractor will evaluate the patient by asking him to walk to determine how stressful it is for the patient to put pressure on the knee. The entire area of the knee will then be examined to see where the pain is potentially coming from and if there are other factors that are partly responsible for the pain.
Sometimes, other parts of the body like lower back, pelvis, and hip are contributing elements that referred pain to the knees. This will help to figure out what possible treatment will be applied and if there is a need to treat every area that is affected.
2.   Reducing the inflammation
Next step would be diminishing the inflammation of the joint and this is the first thing that should be dealt with and lowering the pain by avoiding those factors that aggravate the pain. This can be done by using sports tape or brace as support especially if it’s unstable. Ice is also used regularly to lessen muscle spasm and inflammation. It reduces pain as well.
Chiropractors may also massage the knee and use techniques to heal soft tissues. There are times when laser and ultrasound are also done.
3.   Improving the knee function
To improve the function of the knee, the joint function should be normalized. The chiropractor will do a thorough evaluation toidentify what adjustments would benefit the patient.
There are specific mobilization and manipulation approach to be performed on the areas that restrict the movement of the knee or if there are misalignments.
Sometimes, a chiropractor can diagnose trigger points associated with knee pain. These are injuries to the muscles that are caused by trauma or overuse. Commonly, chiropractors apply pressure to the trigger points using their finger.
It’s the most effective way and it shows how the muscle is responding to the treatment. The patient may also be told to do stretches to speed up healing.
4.   Patient recovery
To help the patient return to a normal state, a chiropractor will recommend some exercises and physical activities to improve strength and endurance. Patients are required to attend the program in their rehabilitation gym. The patient will be showed how to move and how to get comfortable with the movement.
To prevent future knee injuries, the patient will be assisted to work on improving the joint’s stability and flexibility, and improve balance. Tips for proper posture will also be given to decrease the risks injuring the knee.
5.   Providing Alternative options
Lastly, a chiropractor will provide options for treating knees problems at home. These include avoiding activities that stress out the knee, moderate exercises, ice packs, bandages with compression and of course rest.
Final Words
Every patient is different. Every knee problem is different as well. What works for the first patient may not work for others. There are cases that only take weeks to heal, others take months before they are fully healed. What matters is choosing a good chiropractor that will do everything to help the patient.
When it comes to a knee problem, selecting a chiropractor in Glenhaven and Kellyville Sydneyas a first treatment option is a good idea. It’s the perfect choice to manage pain because they have a holistic approach when it comes to treating pain issues on the knee.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
