A pain in the knee! From an Osteopath’s perspective
Knee pain is a regular occurrence in both active and sedentary lifestyles. Throughout our lives, our knees are subject to a range of stressors that will challenge it’s functional stability. Most of these stressors the knee is quite able to overcome without too much bother, however, for some the ability of the knee to overcome this stress fails, causing pain and discomfort. Finding the cause of this loss of function is a primary objective of an Osteopath when working with your knee pain.
Our knees are perfectly imperfect, in that they do a great job at keeping us mobile, however, are also prone to easy injuries and trauma. The knee is a modified hinge joint, and can be divided into two main joints, our tibio-femoral (Our true knee), and the Patello-femoral (our knee cap). Along with a rather simple bone structure, we also have a variety of ligaments, tendons, cartilage and padding (Bursae) that aim to improve and protect the knee from undue stress.
Commonly the top 5 conditions associated with knee pain are:
Knee Osteoarthritis (wear and tear most commonly, although medical conditions such as Type 2 Diabetes can predispose people to this condition). Osteoarthritis often requires a varied approach, which Osteopath’s are ideally suited for providing the correct support, either through manual therapy and exercise, or even advice to manage this condition.
ACL tear- commonly injured in turning movements, especially in sport. Our knee may feel like it gives way and we may not want to straighten our knees. We may feel that we don’t “trust” our knee.
Meniscal tear - A common football injury, causing medial or lateral knee pain. This is commonly painful on weightbearing and when bending our knee.
Bursitis - Commonly an overuse or direct impact or the bursa which causes pain when a muscle presses onto it. Often not painful unless moving
Tendinopathies - Commonly overuse, but can be due to old injuries, or even lack of use. A tendinopathy or tendonitis, is commonly associated with certain muscles around the knee or hip (Hamstring tendonitis, gluteal tendinopathy).
Osteopathy is a great method for aiding an diagnosing these conditions, and a thorough assessment is always carried out to ensure the right treatment plan is in place. Exercise and Manual therapy (such as Osteopathy), are effective in managing pain in knee osteoarthritis, your Osteopath will help you to choose which exercises may be more beneficial for you depending on your lifestyle. Even if you have received a diagnosis in your knee, your Osteopath will help you understand the condition of your knee, so that you can make an informed decision on how to ensure a full recovery of your knee. Osteopathic treatment will aim at reducing excess stress onto the knee through improving stability and mobility of our neighboring joints (such as our hip and ankle).
As can be evidenced above, the origin of knee pain can be complex, and may involve more than one structure in the knee (it may not even be from the knee itself!), a thorough assessment with your friendly neighborhood Osteopath will guide you onto the right path to maximize the health of your knee, ensuring you can get back to the things in life you enjoy.
