Stop living with Knee Pain.
Bloomingdale Sports Doctor Offers Proven Solutions For Runner’s Knee
By Dr. Erin E. Ducat, Board-Eligible Chiropractic Sports Physician in Bloomingdale, IL
If you’re tired of knee pain when you run, climb stairs or even just sit at your desk, I have some valuable resources for understanding your knee pain and learning how to get rid of it for good. As a chiropractic physician specializing in sports medicine in Bloomingdale, I’ve seen my fair share of painful, swollen and tender knees in the athletes I treat. Runner’s Knee, also known as Patellofemoral Tracking Syndrome (PFTS) is one of the most common conditions affecting athletes and I help patients eliminate the pain associated with Runner’s Knee on a daily basis.
When you’re ready to say goodbye to your knee pain, call us at 224-653-8094 to schedule a complete evaluation. I’ll take you through one of the most thorough examinations of your life and pinpoint the exact cause of your condition. Combined with your goals, we’ll design a customized treatment plan to get you back to 100% as quickly as possible and keep you injury free.
Need more information? Read on.
What is Runner’s Knee?
Runner’s Knee occurs when the patella (kneecap) travels too far out to the outer side of your knee and rubs on the bones underneath (femur). With each step, the bones grind together creating inflammation, pain and swelling. At first you may not notice the inflammation, but as you walk or run, there is a cumulative effect and the knee finally screams out for help! The pain associated with Runner’s Knee is usually around the kneecap and sometimes along the inside border of the knee.
A common symptom of Runner’s Knee is pain when you sit after activity (such as when you are at your desk or watching a movie). You’ll have this urge to just move your knees to remove the pressure. Another common sign is pain when going up or down stairs. The angle that your knee moves through to climb the stairs puts additional pressure on the knee cap. Other patients with Runner’s Knee simply have knee pain when performing their activity (walking, running, stairmaster) and they notice that they are achy afterwards.
How does Runner’s Knee develop?
The misalignment of the kneecap can occur from several different causes. Because of this, it is important to get an evaluation from a qualified sports chiropractor to make sure that Runner’s Knee is causing your pain and that you don’t have another condition. Some of the most important areas to keeping your kneecap well aligned include the sacroiliac joint of the low back, the ankle and the foot. Notice that I didn’t mention the knee. Most knee problems start above or below the joint.
When the sacroiliac joint is restricted, it turns off the gluteus medius muscle in your hip making your knee move inward (a little knock-kneed). When the knee travels more inward, it also fatigues the VMO muscle of your quadriceps, allowing the kneecap to slip to the side. Some patients also have overpronation in their ankle, that allow the ankles to cave in, creating more of an inward tilt of the knee. Combine that with a naturally “flat” foot and you have a recipe for disaster. Viola, Runner’s Knee!
How do I get rid of Runner’s Knee?
The reality is that you need a professional to help you identify the areas of your lower body that are tight, tender, weak and deconditioned to determine the exact cause of your pain. Once that is done, they will devise a treatment plan to help you get back to a pain-free, active state in the quickest time possible.
First, scar tissue and tight muscles that developed from walking/running with Runner’s Knee must be resolved. Popular techniques include assisted PIR stretching, myofascial release, Gua Sha or Graston Technique and chiropractic manipulation.
After you get your flexibility back, Kinesiotape is applied to the weakened muscles to help them learn how to “talk to your brain again” and strengthen. Coupled with specific strengthening exercises to target your weak areas, you’ll be able to return to your activities without fear of pain.
Some patients that have an ankle or foot component to their Runner’s Knee must be also fitted for custom foot orthotics to correct the alignment issue. Because of gravity and genetics, this is not something you can exercise away.
Do I need to see a Sports Chiropractor?
If you have had pain for >72 hrs or if this is a pain that you’ve had in the past and it’s returned, it’s a sign that you need to be evaluated by a chiropractic physician trained to treat sports injuries. Until your appointment, ice the area regularly and reduce your activities to decrease the pain level.
Biomechanical or alignment-based sports injuries do not get better on their own. Sometimes they hide, go into remission or you get used to them, but in the end, they will come back with a vengeance. It’s always easier to treat an acute, new problem versus a chronic, old one.
When you’re ready to say goodbye to your knee pain, call us to schedule a complete evaluation. I’ll take you through one of the most thorough examinations of your life and pinpoint the exact cause of your condition. Combined with your goals, we’ll design a customized treatment plan to get you back to 100% as quickly as possible and keep you injury free.
Dr. Erin E. Ducat
Take the challenge and call us at 224-653-8094 to schedule your examination with Dr. Ducat.
We look forward to helping you meet your goals!
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