2022 has got off to a great start, that is until yesterday when I tested positive for Covid!
We had a few days away planned which have been cancelled so what better thing to do with isolation time… than blog 😀
One of my favourite joints to treat is a knee.
Older knees, younger knees, middle aged knees (know knows when this age starts and finishes!), running knees, swollen knees, clicking, locking and grinding knees all come through the door of my clinic on a regular basis.
Years ago when I worked in the NHS I spent several months working almost exclusively with knees. I loved it and the results were great. After that I went in to private practice and learnt a whole load of helpful skills regarding getting people painfree and fully functioning for the long term. Achieving this goal means getting to the root of the problem as well as addressing the problem itself. Long term resolve is something I try to achieve with all the patients I see, bringing great long term results.
Background to the knee:
The knee is a large load bearing hinge joint. It’s made up of the femur and tibia with the knee cap (patella) over the top. It has a number of ligaments which are like elastic bands, providing stability whilst also allowing some flexibility to its movement. In addition to the ligaments are the muscles. The large muscles of the quads, hamstrings and calf all help to keep us upright, provide mobility, strength and endurance.
So why do we get pain
Symptoms of problems with a knee include: pain, swelling, odd noises, feelings of instability and or locking can start. We may start to experience difficulties with kneeling, stairs, running, sport, walking, sitting, all sorts of different activities. There are a number of reasons why we are experiencing these symptoms with the activities. Footwear, reduced muscle strength/stability, tight muscles, overloading of the knee structures, highly repetitive activities, prolonged static postures are just some of the many reasons
What to do next
As you can see, there are a multitude of reasons why you might experience knee problems, which is why it’s so important to book an appointment and get it looked at. This is the most effective way to resolve the problem you’re having and know that you’re on the right track to getting back to the things you love.
So many of my patients tend to report a history of easing off on their activity hoping it will resolve, only to return to it a few weeks later and the problem is the same. This is when they book in. To avoid this happening to you, why not drop me a line or give me a call before you rest up. I’ll be happy to offer advice and if appropriate, get you booked in. That way, even if you do have to ease up from your activities, you’ll be doing something helpful to get you back to being painfree when the time comes.