chiropractic

Dallas Chiropractor

Your Dallas Chiropractor is well aware that knee problems can be extremely painful and sometimes debilitating. There are a number of reasons why people experience knee pain. And, it’s important to be aware that anyone, at any age, is at risk. Knee problems can occur due to trauma sustained from a fall, an auto accident, a sports injury, or some other acute, traumatic event. However, generally speaking, the knee challenges that most individuals experience, especially as they get older, are diagnosed as “non-trauma knee problems.” To put it another way, the majority of knee problems don’t occur because of a sudden injury to the knee, but instead develop because of chronic dysfunction and stress on the knee as a result of excessive weight, poor gait, and other stresses on the knee joint and surrounding tissue that, over time, have developed into “noticeable” to “excruciating” knee pain.

It may surprise you to know that chiropractors like me, your chiropractor in Dallas, treat almost as many patients with knee pain as we do patients with back problems. However, we, chiropractors, would likely have fewer patients with knee problems if more individuals came in sooner for back care. That’s right! Keeping your back in alignment can help prevent knee pain!

How is that possible? The answer is that the musculoskeletal system of the body operates in a compensatory, “chain-reaction” manner. Which is to say that when one area of the musculoskeletal system isn’t functioning correctly, the rest of the system shifts and tilts in an effort to compensate for the problem.  For example, pain in the patella (kneecap), also known as Patella Femoral Syndrome (Knee Cap Pain) is frequently due to imbalances in the quadriceps muscles of the thigh that connect to and move the patella. This unevenness often start in the lower spine, particularly in the sacroiliac joint. It’s a little like the old song, “…the knee bones connected to the thigh bone…”. From our head to our toes, we are one, whole, organic structure. Therefore, chronic challenges are never isolated. But, even though you now know how your back can affect your knees, it’s not always the culprit! A case in point, reduced foot function due to foot pain generally causes painful knee problems as well. In addition, poor knee tracking due to inappropropriate gait patterns, such as pronation (walking like a duck with toes pointed out rather than straight ahead), can create stress on the knee joints and extreme pain over time. And, lastly, excess body weight and, not to bum out the ladies, but the wearing of high heels on a regular basis can cause knee problems over time.

Fortunately, chiropractic care can restore healthy muscle balance, restore appropriate movement to the patella and other knee joints, and adjust subluxations of the sacroiliac joints or bones of the foot. Your very last resort in attempting to get rid of your knee pain, should be knee replacement surgery! Try a conservative course of chiropractic treatment first.
But, you should never ignore knee pain, or “play through” knee pain, or continue walking in those lovely Jimmy Choo heels when your knees are aching. Pain is the body’s way of alerting you to the fact that there’s a problem that needs correcting. If knee problems are not taken care of, knee joint tissue, particularly the cartilage, will continue to erode. If the bones begin to rub on one another, changes such as bone spurs can occur.

As we age, certain musculoskeletal problems frequently increase, such as knee pain and degerative joint disease (osteoarthritis). However, no matter what your age is today, right this minute you are younger than you will ever be again. See your Dallas Chiropractor today…for tomorrow’s sake!

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