Pain Center

Knee Pain

As one of the most important, if not the most important joints in the body, your knees absorb plenty of punishment every day. Just walking to and from the mailbox located at the head of the driveway can place considerable stress on the knees. You probably have watched athletes writhe in pain on the field or court clutching one of their knees. However, you do not have to be a renowned athlete or even an amateur competitor to experience prolonged knee pain. Dr. Gillis and his team of experienced chiropractors at Perry Chiropractic Health Center want you to know there are ways to treat knee pain that do not involve an invasive surgical procedure.

Symptoms of Knee Pain

Depending on the cause of the health issue, knee pain can vary in terms of severity of the pain, as well as where around the knee it hurts the most. The key to a successful intervention for knee pain is to understand the many symptoms that manifest immediately after a knee injury or the gradual signs that develop because of aging.

Here are the primary symptoms of knee pain:

The time to call our highly regarded chiropractic clinic is when you cannot place any weight on the knee experiencing pain. Swelling around the knee requires immediate medical attention as well. If you detect an obvious change in the size or shape of the knee that accompanies dull pain, you should contact Perry Chiropractic Health Center to schedule an appointment to determine the cause of the deformity.

What Causes Knee Pain?

High profile knee injuries we see athletes suffer are just one of the causes of mild to severe knee pain. You can also experience mechanical problems with how the knee functions, which is especially relevant for older patients. The same aging principle applies to the development of arthritis around the bones and ligaments that allow the knee to bend and straighten.

Knee Injuries

Knee injuries can negatively impact the tendons, ligaments, and the fluid filled bursae that surround the knee joints. Tearing of the ACL, which is one of the four ligaments connecting the thighbone to the shinbone, is the most publicized type of knee injury. Other injuries to the knee that cause at least mild pain include fractures, bursitis, and torn meniscus.

Mechanical Issues

They say time heals all wounds, but with your knees, time takes its toll on the most important joint of the body. The degeneration of bone and/or cartilage can place too much pressure on the knee. Time eventually wins and the knee begins to throb, before deteriorating enough to cause consistently unbearable pain. Knee injuries suffered early in life also produce mechanical issues.

Arthritis

With more than 100 different types of arthritis to diagnose, chances are one type will negatively influence the performance of one or both knees. Also referred to as degenerative arthritis, osteoarthritis represents a wear and tear health problem that is caused by years of placing too much pressure on the knee. As the most debilitating type of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that requires years of intensive therapy just to control.

Tips on How to Prevent Knee Pain

One of the most important services offered by the team of licensed chiropractors at Perry Chiropractor Health Center is to educate our patients about how to prevent, or at least mitigate knee pain. You might not be able to compete with time, but you can win the battle against knee pain by implementing a few helpful tips.

Less Body Weight, Less Pressure on Knees

Dr. Gillis and his team of experienced chiropractors present every one of our knee pain patients with a chart that explains the optimal body weight for every size and height. Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most effective ways to prevent knee pain because there is less pressure placed on vulnerable knee joints. Every additional pound above the recommended weight for your size and height puts you at risk for incurring osteoarthritis.

Get in and Stay in Shape

The muscles that operate the movement of both knees need to meet the physical demands placed on the muscles by active participation in recreational activities. We highly recommend you work with a professional trainer to ensure the techniques you use to move both knees abide by commonly practiced medical guidelines.

Knee Exercises

Keeping the knees strong and pain free requires you to conduct daily exercises that concentrate on knee muscles and ligaments. Since weak muscles and ligaments are the primary cause of suffering from knee pain, you should not only exercise the muscles and ligaments that give the knees incredible power, but also work on your hamstrings and quadriceps that support knee performance.

Dr. Gillis and his team of skilled chiropractors are committed to helping every one of our patients achieve pain free knees. Contact us today to schedule an initial consultation for diagnosing knee pain and the recommendation of a treatment regimen that gets you back on your feet at full strength.