Knee Pain

The knee is a very common site to experience pain. There are several structures in the knee that can be the source of injury and can be experienced early or late in life. Osteopathy can help relieve knee pain and provide you with the tools to recover.

Osteopathic treatment can help with knee pain by reducing pain and inflammation and increasing mobility.  Hands-on treatment consisting of massage, dry needling and muscle release techniques will help decrease pain and increase mobility. In addition, education on lifestyle factors and rehabilitation increases strength and stability of the knee and surrounding structures. With the end goal of preventing recurrences from happening.

Structure Of The Knee

Bones

The knee consists of four intersecting bones which connect in a number of different joints. These include the Tibia, Fibula, Femur and Patella. 

Ligaments 

There are 4 major ligaments in the knee. Two are external and two internal. The two external ligaments sit on the side of the knee - the medial collateral ligament and the lateral collateral ligament. They connect the tibia and femur medially and laterally, preventing excess medial and lateral movement. The two internal ligaments are the anterior cruciate ligament and posterior cruciate ligament. These are integral to the knees stability as they stop the tibia shifting forward or backwards on the femur. 

Cartilage

 The knee, like other synovial joints relies heavily on the presence of cartilage to enable smooth and congruent joint surface and movement. Each long bone (in this case, the femur and tibia) is covered in articular cartilage. There is also tough rubbery, cartilaginous tissue which provides shock absorption between the knee. These are called the meniscus - they are C-shaped and sit both medially and laterally between the condyles of the femur and tibia.

Tendons 

There are many different tendons that exist around the knee joint. The most notable is the quadricep/patellar tendon which connects the quadricep to the patella and then to the anterior tibia. This is a commonly injured tissue due to the high amount of load on the front of the knee. Other tendons include the pes anserine junction which is where three tendons insert and is referred to as the chicken foot. These include gracilis (an adductor), sartorius (anterior compartment) and the semitendinosus (hamstring).  

What Are Common Causes Of Knee Pain?

• Patellofemoral pain syndrome: pain resulting from overloading through the front of the knee- common in athletes, particularly women and young adults. 
• Ligament injury: Any of the ligaments in the knee can be injured. Ligaments can be strained (grade 1, grade 2) or fully ruptured (grade 3). In most cases, full rupture may require surgery - especially if there is a desire to continue in sport or high level physical activity. 
• Osteoarthritis: more common in older patients - results from overload and stress around the joint which results in the production of extra bone on the joint surfaces. Best treatment options are weight loss, physical therapy, weight bearing exercise or if severely progressed a knee replacement. 
• Osgood-Schlatters disease: A developmental repetitive use injury common in young athletes. Occurs when there is extra load on the insertion of the patellar tendon and can result in an increased bony prominence on the shin bone and pain.

Osteopathy For Knee Pain Treatment

Osteopathic treatment can help with knee pain by reducing pain and inflammation and increasing mobility.  Hands-on treatment consisting of massage, dry needling and muscle release techniques will help decrease pain and increase mobility. In addition, education on lifestyle factors and rehabilitation increases strength and stability of the knee and surrounding structures. With the end goal of preventing recurrences from happening. 

How Can Living Health Group Help You?

Living Health Group can help with osteopathy and remedial massage to help relieve surrounding tight muscles and joint restrictions. In conjunction with dry needling, we can further reduce tightness and encourage blood flow to the area to promote healing. Knee pain can strongly benefit from strength and stability exercises around the knee and in surrounding structures (hip, glutes, and ankle) and strengthening rehabilitation exercises which are provided by our Osteopaths or Myotherapist to prevent re-injury from occurring. We also look at lifestyle factors that may be contributing to prevent further injury or reoccurance.  

Contact Us Today For Ankle Pain Relief & Treatment

The team at Living Health Group are experienced to assist you with relief of your knee pain. Conveniently book online, or contact us on (03) 9561 1958 or email at info@livinghealthgroup.com.au.