Knee Pain Treatment In Portland, ME
The knee is a vulnerable joint essential for handling the stress of both athletics and everyday activities. Given the importance of proper knee function, it’s concerning that 1 in 3 Americans will experience knee pain, and it’s the second most common form of chronic pain. In 2017 alone, there were 966,000 knee replacement surgeries!
Knee pain is actually a broad term for a variety of conditions, as many structures in the knee can ultimately become injured. These structures range from cartilage, tendon, ligament, or meniscus, each of which can become injured due to various lifestyle factors. Variables such as weight, gender, age, and tobacco use will all affect the health of your knees and how they age. Fortunately, surgery is not your only option for helping reduce knee pain and improve function.
Chiropractic care is an excellent option for knee pain and its various associated injuries. For starters, adjusting the knees will help to improve the joint’s range of motion and reduce inflammation. Combining this with our other therapies is an all-natural way of improving your knee function and getting back to doing the activities you love.
How We Treat Knee Pain in Portland, ME
Comprehensive Consultation and Examination
The first step before treatment is to thoroughly examine the issue and find the root cause of what’s triggering your knee pain. Many structures in the knee can become injured, and we first need to determine the location of the injury. At Chiropractic & Sports Health, we will take a complete history of your complaint and perform a series of tests to determine what’s going on. With the root cause of your knee pain found, we can design your customized treatment plan and help you address it.
Joint Manipulation
Most injuries related to the knees are rooted in a history of poor functional movement. This can range from immobility, weakness, or imbalances that fail to support your knee's integrity properly. Functional issues above and below the knee can be involved in many cases. Our goal in joint manipulation is to improve joint mobility and restore proper range of motion. With proper function and movement, the knee and other joints can be more pain-free, even with arthritic conditions.
Soft Tissue Therapy
In many cases of knee injury, the muscles around the knees can be tight, and we offer muscle therapies that are a great addition to the adjustment. With these therapies, we will address the calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, and tibial muscles to help improve their mobility, reduce restrictions, and support proper knee motion.
Custom Therapeutic Exercise Plan
With most knee injuries, the knee joint itself or the surrounding areas are weak and imbalanced. Instability in the hips and foot/ankle can also impact how the knee moves and the stresses put on it. For this reason, exercise is vital in strengthening and correcting the areas of imbalance. Progressing through our customized program for your needs is essential, not only for aiding in your recovery but also for preventing injury in the future. Visit to visit, you will learn and work on exercises that will continually build up your strength and stability to better support your knee. You’ll start with the basics and graduate through to more dynamic movements as you progressively heal.
Common Causes of Knee Pain in Portland, ME
Torn Meniscus
The meniscus is a tough cartilage that sits as a pad inside your knee. It acts as a shock absorber between the bones of your thigh and shin and, unfortunately, can tear with a forceful twist or rotation of the knee. In some cases, kneeling or squatting can be painful as well. When the meniscus becomes torn, pain, swelling, and stiffness develop, making rotational movements (pivoting on the involved foot) difficult. In severe cases, surgical intervention is considered, but in many cases, the conservative therapies we offer effectively reduce pain and stiffness and get you back to better function.
Patellar Tendinitis
Also known as “Jumper’s Knee,” this is a common athletic injury in runners, skiers, cyclists, and people in jumping sports. The patellar tendon is located just below the kneecap, and as it becomes stressed, it develops tiny tears that ultimately lead to irritation and inflammation.
Arthritis
Osteoarthritis is a common source of knee pain that we treat at our office. This is essentially a “wear and tear” on the knee joint that results in the breakdown of cartilage. The result is chronic stiffness in the knee with pain and loss of range of motion. Other types of arthritis, such as Rheumatoid arthritis and Gout, are inflammatory and cause joint pain through different mechanisms.
Iliotibial Band Disruption
We commonly see injuries related to the Iliotibial (IT) band in runners and cyclists. The IT band is a tough band of tissue that runs from the outside of the hip to the outside of the knee. When the IT band becomes tight with overuse, it will begin to rub on the bony prominence outside the knee, resulting in pain in the area.
Runner’s Knee
This common overuse injury results in pain under and around the kneecap, making activities like running, cycling, squatting, and walking up/down the stairs the most painful. It’s important to know that this condition has no broken bones, tendons, or ligaments and is related to irritation and inflammation. It’s possible to heal this injury with the proper conservative treatments, improving mobility, strength, balance, and ergonomics.
Check Out Our Location Near You
Portland
15 Sewall Street
Portland, ME 04102
Phone:
207-347-2205
Frequently Asked Questions
When should you see a chiropractor for knee pain?
As soon as possible! Knee problems can often be stubborn conditions, so the sooner you address the problem, the better your chances of a speedy recovery. The combination of therapies we offer is effective at improving most knee injuries.
Should I exercise with knee pain?
The short answer is yes! The long answer is that it depends on the exercise you are doing and building up your exercise routine properly to allow your knee to adapt to the new stresses and not flare up. We design your therapeutic exercise program to teach you the proper exercises based on your limitations and progress you appropriately as you heal.
How do I know if my knee pain is serious?
As pain is subjective, your pain level does not necessarily determine the severity of your injury. If your injury resulted in a trauma (think accident or bad fall), there’s a chance you may have damaged something serious. You may see intense redness and swelling associated with this type of injury. Because of this, we will always perform our comprehensive examination before treatment to determine if our care is right for you. If we don’t believe our treatment is appropriate, we will happily refer you to the right place.
Are chiropractors covered by insurance for knee pain?
In the state of Maine, we are! Most insurances outside of Medicare and Mainecare are accepted for knee problems. In fact, knee complaints account for a significant percentage of patients we see. If you would like a complimentary insurance check before coming in, don’t hesitate to reach out to our office.