Knee Joint Pain Running
Most of the patients that I see as a chiropractor in San Diego developed knee joint pain while running. Runner’s knee joint pain usually comes as a result of running on hard or uneven surfaces. In some patient’s knee joint pain is simply due to running too often and not giving the body time to recuperate. While running is an excellent exercise for improving cardiovascular conditioning, some patients simply take it too far. Unless my patients run competitively and understand that knee joint pain is a risk, I recommend that they run 15 miles or less per week.
During Pregnancy
Knee joint pain during pregnancy is also a common complaint that I see as a chiropractor. Women tend to experience knee joint pain while pregnant for a number of reasons. Whenever you gain weight the joints, especially the knees and the lower back, have to support more weight. Anytime you carry excess weight your joints are stressed more so than they were before the weight gain. This extra stress can irritate the knee joint causing inflammation and pain. Women also produce hormones during pregnancy that soften the ligaments, which can create instability or sloppiness in the knee joint.
Knee Joint Pain Diagnosis
Proper knee joint pain diagnosis is vital before treatment with a chiropractor begins. Many patients come to the chiropractor thinking of us as “back doctors” but in reality we extensively study all the joints in the body. Because of the frequency with which chiropractors see knee pain in the course of practice, we are experts at diagnosing knee joint pain causes. Diagnosis of these types of pain requires a thorough history, orthopedic examination and ligament stability tests. In cases with moderate or severe ligament laxity an MRI may be required if your knee is unstable during the ligament stability tests.
Knee Joint Pain Treatment
Treatment for knee joint pain with a chiropractor focuses on reducing inflammation, speeding the healing process and strengthening the muscles that cross the knee joint. Chiropractors who provide knee joint pain treatments depend on their patients to not only adhere to a treatment plan but they also need the patient to avoid aggravating activities and to follow at home therapies such as icing, stretching and exercising.
The real danger for patients who choose to not follow a treatment plan is the risk of further injury that may then require a surgical repair.
Knee Pain Summary
Knee pain in runners is commonly seen in my San Diego chiropractic clinic because running creates high impact forces in the knee. Many patients who run make the same basic mistakes in that they run too far, too often, on hard surfaces or on uneven surfaces. Knee pain during pregnancy is common because of weight gain and because hormones released during pregnancy cause the ligaments to soften. Obviously as with any type of pain, this type of pain requires proper diagnosis in order apply the right treatment. In order to experience knee pain relief with treatment from a chiropractor it is important to follow the doctor’s recommendations.