Knee Pain
The knee is one of the biggest joints in the body, it takes the full weight of the body every time we take a step and many times our body weight when we go up or down stairs. Although it is large and strong, mechanically it is considered quite unstable as it relies on soft tissues (ligaments and tendons) for its stability, rather than a congruous surface like the hip.
Problems seen in our clinic can relate to soft tissue injury, for instance, sporting injuries where the knee has been twisted suddenly, patella (kneecap) issues where pain or a grinding sensation is felt at the front of the knee or pain around the knee due to soft tissue tension as in ‘runners knee’.
Treatment involves identifying the painful tissue and assessing the mechanical factors that have caused the injury. Sometimes this is obvious where trauma is concerned but can also come from another area of the body such as the ankle or hip or be related to footwear affecting gait or running style.
Early to moderate arthritis in the knee also often responds well to osteopathic treatment, and combining specific dry needling techniques and laser therapy, chronic swelling can be reduced and mobility can be restored in part. Combining advice on nutritional supplements, to give the body everything it needs to repair itself, is often an effective approach at managing arthitic knees.