You are not alone if you are affected by pain in and around your knee. An estimated one-in-three Americans are affected by chronic knee pain. There were more than 900,000 knee replacement surgeries in 2017 alone. The widespread issue of knee pain has led to an industry growing around selling knee braces and pain relievers. Treatment from a chiropractor can relieve the symptoms of knee pain without resorting to surgery and the consistent use of medications.
Your knee is a very mobile joint that absorbs much stress throughout the day. It acts like a hinge between your femur and tibia. A group of muscles and tendons stabilize your knee and keep you balanced. Any changes to your general health and well-being can cause problems leading to a painful knee joint. A person suffering from pain in the knee joint often explains the joint is red and hot to the touch. Pain in and around the knee can be accompanied by popping and crunching sounds and can feel weak and unstable, with some individuals unable to straighten their painful knees fully.
Most people often associate knee injuries with sports and fitness. However, your knee is designed to be used regularly. A sedentary lifestyle can cause more harm to your knees than working out consistently. Inactivity can lead to general pains in your knee when you remain in a seated position for too long.
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Our knees are designed to carry the optimum weight for our height and age. Adding a few pounds can lead to pain as your muscles adapt to your body shape and size changes. To understand why you have knee pain after gaining weight, you should consider your knees as shock absorbers. Every time you take a step, the cartilage between your knee and thigh bone absorbs the weight of your upper body. The obesity epidemic in the U.S. is leading to a secondary epidemic of pain in and around the knee.
There are several factors to consider when looking for the causes of pain in the knee. You can be affected by:
- Injuries
- Musculoskeletal problems
- Arthritis
- Unbalanced gait
- Spinal misalignment
- Poor posture
- Other risk factors
Mechanical issues can cause knee pain and pain in other areas of your body. Knee pain can often lead the body to compensate, resulting in problems with gait, hip pain, and foot pain. Chiropractic care can help limit the long-term effects of painful knee joints on your body.
Joints need to move to heal. Immobilization helps some injuries, but a lack of movement worsens most knee pain. Chiropractic care realigns the body to help you feel better within yourself. Chiropractic care is an excellent option for those seeking knee pain treatment. Not only does chiropractic accelerate the healing process, but it also works to realign the musculoskeletal system to take unnecessary stress off joints and muscles to improve joint health. To understand what kind of treatment you need, your chiropractor will look for the root causes of your knee pain before starting your treatment.
How Our Knee Pain Care Plan Works
1. Get To The Root Cause Of The Problem
We’re not interested in temporary solutions, we want to address the underlying issue for long-term relief. We’ll take the time to listen to your story and conduct a thorough exam to get to the root cause of your knee pain.
2. Receive A Plan Based On Your Goals And Our Findings
No two people experience the same issue in the same way. That’s why we use your health goals and our exam findings as the guideposts to design an action plan that is unique to you.
3. Live Your Best Life
Having control over your health will unleash your full potential. You’ll no longer be held back from doing what you need, want, and love to do. Without physical limitations or emotional worry, you can be the blessing to your friends and family.
Common Causes of Knee Pain in Wheaton, IL
ACL Injury
A range of injuries and medical conditions contribute to the most common causes of painful knee joints. The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is one of the four tendons connecting your shin to your thigh. An ACL tear is a common injury professional athletes sustain. We see damage to the ACL in people who participate in sports requiring fast direction changes, such as soccer and basketball. Chiropractic care can be essential in accelerating recovery from this injury and preventing it in the first place.
Torn Meniscus
Twisting and direction changes can cause problems with the tendons and cartilage. Your meniscus can be a problem area for you if you take part in fast-moving sports. The meniscus is cartilage between your shin and thigh bones that acts as a shock absorber. A torn meniscus usually occurs when you twist with weight on your knee joint.
Bursitis
Inflammation is a common cause of pain in the knee joint. Knee bursitis is inflammation of the sacs of fluid around your knee. The movement of your tendons is limited and painful when these sacs are swollen and inflamed. Another form of inflammation is patellar tendonitis, caused by swollen tendons attaching muscles to bones.
Iliotibial (IT) Band Syndrome
If you run long distances or cycle often, you could be at risk for iliotibial band syndrome. The IT band is a group of fibers stretching from the hip to the knee. When those fibers tighten, it can cause pain and discomfort. Arthritis and its associated conditions are a common cause of painful knees. Chiropractic care is an excellent approach to stopping the progression of arthritis.
Runner’s Knee
Runner’s knee is soreness and pain in the kneecap caused by one of several problems. This condition can be caused by the high position of the kneecap or poor foot support. Injuries and inflammation to the hamstrings and Achilles’ tendons can cause a runner’s knee.
How We Treat Knee Pain in Wheaton, IL
Different courses of treatment can help to treat knee pain. Each case is unique, and a professional chiropractor will assess the situation and determine the best course of action. There are different approaches and treatment types available, including the following:
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
The first step in healing is a thorough exam of your knee. Our chiropractors will listen to your story and learn about the factors associated with your knee pain. Traumas and injuries from the past will be considered, along with any lifestyle factors. We will test your knee’s range of motion to determine the best action plan.
Our doctors will examine your spine and central nervous system to determine if you have any misalignments adding to your pain. We will use a variety of methods to assess your joint and overall health, including X-rays to look for arthritis and degeneration.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Wheaton, IL
As we mentioned earlier, your knee and other joints heal with movement. Any pain in the knee will lead to you choosing to limit its movement. Specific chiropractic care will help you to regain pain-free movement in your knee. The blockage of nerve impulses from the brain to your extremities will lead to knee pain and immobility in your knees. The realignment of your spine can unblock the passageways for electrical impulses moving from your brain to the rest of your body.
Specific chiropractic care will target the knee that is causing the most pain. Our experienced team of chiropractors will look to move your knees and retrain the muscles around them to return to a higher range of movements. Some conditions respond better to increased movement than they do to immobilization.
Custom Therapeutic Exercise Plan
We will craft a custom exercise plan to strengthen and stabilize the upper and lower leg muscles. This will include various exercises that help gently stretch the muscles in your leg and strengthen and improve your overall mobility of the knee joint. Combined with other treatment options, this can be beneficial in treating your knee pain and helps stabilize the knee joint.
Massage Therapy and Soft Tissue Work
Blockages in the central nervous system can limit the passage of blood circulating to some areas of your body. Soft tissue dysfunction can exacerbate knee pain. Massage goes hand-in-hand with chiropractic care to stimulate circulation to accelerate healing. Deep tissue massage encourages blood flow and can relieve muscle tension that may be causing joint dysfunction and knee pain.
Knee-on-Trac
You should exhaust all other options before considering invasive knee surgery. Knee-on-Trac treatments are non-invasive ways of stretching and decompressing the knee joint. Compressed joints increase inflammation, the source of all disease. Knee-on-Trac gently stretches and decompresses the knee to reduce inflammation and increase mobility.
Deep Tissue Laser
We like to explore all options for treating knee pain. One of the options for short-term pain relief and long-term healing is a deep-tissue laser treatment. These low-level lasers project a beam of light deep into the tissues to promote the healing of damaged cells and tissues. The light will be absorbed as cell energy to promote healing and new cell generation. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommends this gentle laser treatment to improve functionality and pain management.
Check Out Our Location Near You
2150 Manchester Rd. Ste. 100, Wheaton, IL 60187
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a chiropractor any good for knee pain?
Yes! Chiropractors have the skills to help limit the issues associated with painful knees. The range of treatments has a positive effect on the level of knee pain in most patients.
How can I relieve knee pain naturally?
We use natural resources to help your painful knee joints. Chiropractic care uses non-invasive treatments that promote cell growth and blood flow to reduce inflammation. It works to correct the underlying cause of pain for long-term relief and prevention. Chiropractic care limits the use of pain relievers and invasive surgical treatments.
When should you see a chiropractor for knee pain?
Pain is our body’s alarm that something is wrong. Pain is the last symptom to develop, so if you’re in pain, it’s likely that your body has been malfunctioning for a while.
Is walking good for knee pain?
Yes! Pain and inflammation are limitations to your movement, but movement improves circulation, accelerating healing and pain relief. Our bodies are made to move and heal more effectively when they are kept in motion.
What should I eat if I have arthritis in my knee?
A healthy and balanced diet can help with osteoarthritis and other forms of arthritis. Certain lifestyle and dietary changes can limit inflammation and reduce knee pain. Oily fish is a good option for limiting cholesterol and maintaining a healthy weight. Dark leafy greens like spinach and kale promote vitamin D production. Vitamin D promotes calcium production and has anti-inflammatory properties. Adding garlic to your diet protects against the enzymes that damage knee cartilage.