Knee Pain Conditions

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS), commonly known as anterior knee pain, is felt on or deep to the kneecap (patella).  It is the result of continuous wear between the kneecap (patella) and the thigh bone (femur).  It is often caused by overuse (running and jumping activities, misaligned kneecaps, and imbalanced thigh muscles.  These conditions, that make you more susceptible to Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome will be discussed below.  

Causes:

• Overzealous workouts
• "I-don't-need-no-rest" attitude
• Misaligned kneecaps due to biomechanical issues (see patella tracking dysfunction below)

Natural Solutions:

• Stretching quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles
• Using a vacuum cupping set to loosen muscles and improve function of the quadriceps and abductors (on the outer aspect of the thigh)
• Applying the Trio of Creams (Bone Aid Relief Cream, Kirofix® Injury Relief Lotion, and Heativate® Relief Cream)
• Therapeutic ultrasound for pain relief and faster healing to get back to activity sooner

Patellar Tendonitis, or Runner’s Knee, is inflammation of the patellar tendon specifically, often resulting from overuse and biomechanical issues.  The pain is felt on the patellar tendon, between the bottom of the kneecap and its insertion into the shin bone (tibia).

Causes:

• Overuse
• Biomechanical issues
• Improper running technique
• Poor footwear

Natural Solutions:

• Rest and reduce running or impact activities
• Stretch quadriceps and strengthen core and hip muscles
• Use cupping set on quadricep muscles to relieve tension
• Apply Kirofix® Injury Relief Lotion and use therapeutic ultrasound

Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterised by stiffness, pain, and creaks in the knee joint, resulting from wear and tear over time.  The thigh muscles cross over the knee joint and if they are tight, they jam to tibia and the femur together.  This causes a narrowing in the joint space, resulting in less fluid and wear and tear on the articular cartilage and meniscus inside the knee joint.  Ongoing tightness and ongoing wear and tear leads to osteoarthritis.

Causes:

• Age
• Genetics
• Previous Knee injury
• Muscle tightness around the knee

Natural Solutions:

• Stretch and use the at home vacuum cupping set on quadriceps, hamstrings, adductors, abductors (basically the front, back and sides of the thigh) and the calves.  Check out the stretches in the treatment section below
• Apply the Trio of Creams and use therapeutic ultrasound.  The Trio is pertinent in this case, read about how it works below in the treatment section.
• Sit on a high bench with a weight on the ankle to open the joint

Meniscal tears occur when the cartilage in the knee tears, often due to sudden twists or regular wear and tear.  Often comes about from a twisting action when weight bearing, especially in sport where you land and suddenly change direction.

Causes:

• Sudden twists
• Intense sports manoeuvres
• Awkward movements

Natural Solutions:

• Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (R.I.C.E.) - if you don’t have a therapeutic ultrasound
• Apply the Trio of Creams and use therapeutic ultrasound
• Use cupping set on quadriceps to relieve pressure
• Sit on a high bench with a weight on the ankle to open the joint

Bursitis is the inflammation of bursae, the fluid-filled sacs around the knee, caused by tight muscles or frequent kneeling.  There are many in the knee that can swell independently.  One of the most common bursitis’ in the knee joint is called a Baker’s Cyst and is found at the back of the knee.  

Causes:

• Tight muscles
• Frequent kneeling
• Overuse of knee joints

 Natural Solutions:

• Rest and ice (if you don’t have the therapeutic ultrasound)
• Use knee pads when kneeling
• Apply Kirofix® Injury Relief Lotion and use therapeutic ultrasound

Osgood-Schlatter Disease occurs during growth spurts, causing a painful bump below the knee due an anterior tibial subluxation.  If left untreated the biomecanical change around the knee cause the patellar tendon to pull constantly on the tibial plateau and results in damage to this area of bone.  The body sweeps in to protect the area by laying down more bone, resulting in a noticeable hard lump below the knee.  

Causes:

• Rapid growth (muscles can’t keep up with bone growth)
• Tight muscles
• Intense sports

Natural Solutions:

• Rest and ice (if you don’t have the therapeutic ultrasound)
• Use Kirofix® Injury Relief Lotion and Bone Aid Relief Cream with the therapeutic ultrasound
• Stretch regularly and use a cupping set on quadriceps
• Consult a chiropractor for treatment of the tibia subluxation (very simple fix)

Chondromalacia Patella is the softening of the cartilage under the kneecap, often due to overuse and misalignment.  Bone that is constantly under pressure can become worn and soft.  Left entreated this condition can lead to physical changes to the patella, leading to ongoing biomechanical issues and arthritic change down the track.  Check out the information above on Osteoarthritis of the knee.

Causes:

• Overuse
• Misalignment of kneecap (check out the information of patella tracking dysfunction below)

Natural Solutions:

• Avoid high-impact exercises
• Use the cupping set on the quadriceps (this is preferred to any stretching, as Quad stretching will force the softened patella against the femur and make this condition worse)
• Use the Bone Relief Duo (Ultra Bone Relief Oral Spray and Bone Aid Relief Cream)
• Use the therapeutic ultrasound with the knee straight, over all of the edges of the patella angling the treatment head into the middle of the knee joint (as if you’re trying to allow the sound wave to get under the underside of the patella)

Patella Tracking Dysfunction involves a misalignment of the kneecap due to muscle imbalance.  The quadriceps muscle is a 4 belly muscles.  Two of the muscles are in the midline, one deep and one superficial, then one is on the inside and the other on the outside.  The balance between the strength of the inside and outside muscles (vastus medalis obliquus and vastus lateralis, respectively) is what determines if the patella tracks properly.  If one muscle is too tight in comparison to the other, it will pull the patella of track, leading to wear and tear (osteomalacia patella - read more above) and lead to the increased chance of a patella dislocation (more on this next).

Causes:

• Weak inner thigh muscle (vastus medialis obliquus)
• Strong outer thigh muscle (vastus lateralis)

Natural Solutions:

• Stimulate inner thigh muscle with the Russian Mode on our 4 in 1 TENS machine
• See a practitioner for dry needling (see an explanation below)
• Reduce tension in outer thigh muscles using the cupping set, foam rolling or dry needling
• Strengthen muscles evenly with squats

Patella dislocation occurs when the kneecap moves out of its groove, often due to sharp twists or direct impact.  Kneeling on the ground and twisting is a common cause too.  Most commonly the patella dislocates to the outside of the knee due to the shape of the groove and the tendency for the Vastus laterals muscle to be tighter than the vastus medialis muscle.

Causes:

• Sharp twists
• Direct impact
• Patella Tracking Dysfunction

Natural Solutions:

• Relocate the patella as soon as possible
• Apply Kirofix® Injury Relief Lotion and use therapeutic ultrasound
• Rebalance muscles by following Patella Tracking Dysfunction solutions

The main muscles to focus on that affect the knee joint are the quadriceps, hamstrings, adductors, abductors and the gastrocnemius (one of the calf muscles).  Check out the pics below on how to most effectively stretch them.

Vacuum cupping can be used on various muscles around the knee to reduce tightness, improve blood flow, and speed up recovery to the knee joint itself. It is especially beneficial for conditions like Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS), Patellar Tendonitis, bursitis, chondromalacia patella, meniscal tears and OA. 

Loosening off the muscles surrounding the knee also reduces the femur and tibia from being jammed up against each other, reducing the joint space and decreasing the synovial fluid that buffers the joint and supplies the cartilage with nourishment.

The Dr Kez Chirolab 4 in 1 TENS machine, has a unique feature called Russian mode.  The Russian mode strengthens muscles which is very beneficial for imbalance issues like patella tracking dysfunction and to recover from patella dislocation. Place the electrodes on the inside of the knee (lower thigh) to stimulate the vastus medialis obliquus, to correct muscle imbalances in conditions like Patella Tracking Dysfunction and those that cause Patella Dislocation. The TENS feature itself can also be very useful in giving you a relief from ongoing pain experienced by any of the above conditions.  The brain can only perceive a single input form the same area of the body.  So if you are experiencing an ongoing pain, putting the TENS electrode pads over the site of pain, will distract the brain from feeling the pain, as it starts to feel the buzz of the TENS instead, much more tolerable! 

Now, when it comes to knee issues, I can’t go passed the Trio of Creams.  Often ailments of the knee, especially if they’ve been going on for a while will likely involve both the bone and soft tissue structures, so having this three pronged approach covers all bases.  The Bone Aid Relief Cream works its magic on the bones and nerves in the area, while the Kirofix® Injury Relief Lotion works its magic on the soft tissue structures.  These creams provide the body with rebuilding blocks necessary to heal bone are nerve issues, and soft tissue issues respectively.   The Heativate® Relief Cream is added to the mix, as it brings the necessary blood flow to speed up healing and deliver the building blocks from its powerful counterparts.  Click on the image to the left or below to find out more or to secure yourself some of these amazing healing creams.

Therapeutic ultrasound provides energy to underlying damaged tissues, accelerating the repair process. It is effective in conditions like Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS), Runner’s Knee, OA, Meniscal Tears, Bursitis, and Patella Dislocation.  The Dr Kez Ultrasound has 3 settings.  For all of the knee conditions mentioned above the best setting for healing is the pulsed setting.  This setting has the sound waves pulse on and off during treatment, which research shows is the most effective for healing bursitis, tendonitis, torn muscles, sprains and strains, disc injuries, meniscal damage, ligament damage, as well as inflammation and pain.  Ensure the conductive gel is used during treatment so that the sound waves can penetrate through the skin to the underlying tissue, where it will do its magic!

To further enhance the healing powers of the ultrasound, Dr Kez rubs the Kirofix® Injury Relief Lotion and the Bone Aid Relief Cream on the skin first, before applying the gel and using the ultrasound, so that the building blocks for repair are right where the body needs them to enhance healing.  Using the ultrasound over them will drive the active ingredients of these two products even deeper into the injured area.  There are some tricks on how to apply the ultrasound for different knee issues.  Check out this Facebook video to work out whether to bend or not to bend for your particular ailment. 

If you don’t own a therapeutic ultrasound, the other option to assist in reducing swelling it to compress ice onto the knee.  This is best done with a wrap on ice pack, (rather than a packet of peas) for a number of reasons:

• Protection from ice burns (provides a layer between your skin and the gel ice pack)
• Hands free icing
• Compression applied by the velcro wrap
• Malleability of the gel ice pack
• Comes with two packs, which can be frozen or heated

Click on the image to the right to grab yourself a hands free wrap on ice kit!

If you’re wanting to really fast track your results, find a practitioner that does dry needling.  This is very effective for eliminating the lactic acid that builds up in overused muscles causing tightness and muscular imbalances that leads to most of the knee ailments we discussed above.  When it comes to patella tracking dysfunction, dry needling the weak vastus medialis is an extremely effective way to wake up the nerve connection to that muscle to activate it again.  This will result in it being more effective at keeping the patella tracking evenly.  Some Chiro’s, Osteo’s and Myotherapists do dry needling work as part of their treatment regime, but not all of them, so it is worth asking before you commit to an appointment.  Dr Kez (Chiro) does dry needling at her Life Balance Adjustments clinic in Watsonia if you would like to book an appointment, click on the picture below.

By integrating these treatment options, you can effectively address various knee ailments and promote healing. 

Always consult a healthcare professional for personalised advice and treatment plans.