Knee Pain?...No Problem!

Many suffer from knee pain.  It can range from intermittent aching to severe debilitating pain. The symptoms may include pain, stiffness, swelling, popping, difficulty climbing stairs, squatting and sitting for long periods. X-rays often reveal varying degrees of arthritis, but sometimes are normal.  Barring traumatic injury many of the symptoms of knee pain can be attributed to muscle imbalances and faulty biomechanics.  This leads to increased wear and tear and tendonitis from overuse.  Through advanced study and greater understanding of biomechanics and functional anatomy we realize that most knee pain has nothing to do with the knee.  The knee pain is a symptom, but the cause is usually elsewhere.  Many times we have found the foot and/or the hip to be the weak link. The foot and hip are  both very mobile joints, while the knee is primarily limited to flexing and extending.  The phrase “it’s all connected” is the central theme to human movement. For example, if the foot flattens out more than normal (overprontes) it will cause the knee to collapse more than normal towards the midline.  This will put stress on the medial knee joint, compress the lateral knee joint, cause the knee cap to track off center and subject the muscles to work harderto try to control and stabilize through a greater range of motion.  Another example would be tightness of the hip flexors and weakness of the gluteal muscles which are present in most people due to the fact that we sit a lot and sleep in the fetal position.  We refer to this as “dormant butt syndrome”. When the hip flexors are tight they cause weakness in the gluteus maximus (the butt, tooshee, cannon or powerhouse) through a phenomenon called reciprocal inhibition (when one muscle is tight it causes weakness in the opposite muscle).  The butt is a strong stabilizer/ motion controller of the lower extremity. When it is weak it also allows the knee to collapse into the midline placing more stress on the joint and soft tissues.  Over time the knee is subject to more wear and tear and many of the symptoms of knee pain begin to creep up. So if your knee pain persists it is a good idea to seek out a knowledgeable professional to help you. Knee pain doesn’t have to put an end to your fun, if the right approach is taken.

Get Strong! Stay Strong!

Chris

Plantar Fascia Anyone?

Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition effecting the heel and arch area of the foot.  Symptoms include pain in the heel and arch with walking and especially with the first steps  upon getting out of bed or after prolonged sitting.  The pain can range from mild to quite severe.  The pain results from an irritation to the thick fibrous tissue on the bottom of the foot known as the plantar fascia.  It attaches to the heel and runs along the bottom to the ball of the foot.  If the foot flattens out more than normal (overpronation) the fascia is excessively and repetitively stretched and can over time become inflammed at the heel where it inserts.  Microtearing occurs and the tissue can start to pull the bone away fron the heel resulting in a heel spur.  So, a bone spur is the result not necesarily the cause of the problem and the bone spur is horizontally oriented not vertically.  As you sleep at night or when you are off your feet the tissue begins to "scar down" as it attempts to heal itself and then when you take that first step in the morning it stretches or "tears" the fascia tissue.  Thats why those first steps are killers.  Symptoms can be set of by overpronation, changes in activity levels, improper shoe wear, climbing ladders or using your foot to dig with a shovel.  Most of the time plantar fasciitis responds to conservative therapy consisting of a good biomechanical evaluation, modalities for pain ( ice, iontophoresis, electrical stimulation), taping, proper stretching (hip flexors, calves), strengthening (hips, core) and temporary or custom foot orthotics.  So why would one have surgery but not correct what caused the problem in the first place?

Get Strong, Stay Strong!

Chris