Do You Have Sore Knees?

What are Causes of Knee Pain?

There can be many causes of sore knees and it is important to get an assessment to determine the best treatment approach to take. Here is a list of some possible sources of knee pain:

• Ligament Sprains-MCL, LCL, ACL, PCL
• Tendinopathy/Muscle Strains
• Meniscal Tears
• Saphenous Nerve Entrapment
• Osteoarthritis

Who Can Diagnose Knee Pain?

Your knee pain can be diagnosed by any primary health care practitioner such as a Physiotherapist. Osteopaths are also highly trained in diagnosing knee pain.

What type of treatments are used for knee pain?

• Assessment - Assessments can help determine why knee pain occurs. Specific tests help determine which of the above areas may be the cause of your knee pain. There are many factors that come into play: When the pain first occurred, how long you’ve had the pain for, and age are to name a few.
• Manual Therapy - helps reduce tension increase blood flow, to promote healing -if longer periods are required, Osteopathy and Massage Therapy can spend 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Nerve Mobilizations - Often times cranky nerves need to be given more breathing room. There are quite a few nerves that pass by the knee joint that may need a little more blood flow and movement: Saphenous and Femoral Nerve along the front, and the Sciatic Nerve branches named the tibial and peroneal nerves on the back.
• Strengthening Exercises - Strengthening exercises will vary depending on the root cause of the pain. There may be open-kinetic chain exercises such as a leg extension and leg curl or a closed kinetic chain exercise such as a squat or leg press.
• Mobility Exercises - It is important to keep everything moving

Can Knee Pain Be Serious?

The most common thing seen as a result of knee pain is a reduced ability to perform daily and enjoyed activities.  This can include the inability to run, or the ability to do stairs.

What Can I Do for Sore Knees?

Modify but do not avoid activity all together.

Strengthen your core, hips, and knees and increase your ankle mobility: The knees are often described as door hinges between the hip and the ankle. This means they are significantly influenced (as most areas of the body are), by what is happening at the hip and the ankles. Most often we try and encourage people to strengthen and reduce tension in their core and hip musculature and work on their ankle range of motion as well.

Get Assessed - If you are experiencing sore knees it is best to get them assessed to help determine how you can eliminate the pain you are experiencing and get you back to the things you enjoy.

Call us today at (902) 425-3775 to book your appointment.