When you’re looking for Atlanta Chiropractic care for knee pain, here is a list of the information that you should be aware of.
Knee joints inflamed, painful and swollen or stiff, may indicate that you’re suffering from arthritis.
The disease can affect any of the joints of the body, which are susceptible because of their ability to move utilizing a combination of soft tissue and hard boned connections made soft with liquid filled sacs called bursae, as well as cartilage.
Once the softening tissue and padding wear down through simple use, overuse or accident, the bones will hit and wear down causing the painful symptoms.
You’ll feel them more when walking and climbing stairs, although in rheumatoid arthritis, the symptoms can present without movement.
Atlanta Chiropractic Treatment for Knee Pain
Unfortunately there isn’t a cure for the disease, however, there are a lot of treatments available, and in extreme cases the option for knee replacements, which is quite a common procedure.
How To Treat Arhritic Pain Inside Your Knee
Because of its great size and use, the knee is a difficult area of the body to land arthritis, causing a lot of pain and loss of movement.
The knee is made of the shinbone, thighbone and kneecap. These three bones meet at the knee, and are held together with smooth articular cartilage, muscles and the shock absorbing meniscus, which acts as a barrier between the shin and thigh.
The entire knee is oiled by the synovial membrane, which wraps around the joint and provides lubrication.
When you think about it, it’s incredible that in this single spot our legs are held together; the knee turns us into upright, walking creatures, which is why a loss to the knee, such as arthritis, can be so debilitating.
Understanding Different Kinds of Arthritis
Osteoarthritis typically only affects people over 50 years old, because it’s caused by long term use and deterioration of the knee joint.
It’s strictly a physical disorder, with pain centered on the areas of deterioration.
That’s different than Rheumatoid Arthritis, which is a genetic autoimmune condition that strikes at any age and in multiple, healthy joints, inflaming the synovial membrane surrounding the knee, which causes pain and deterioration of the bones and joint fibers.
Posttraumatic Arthritis happens after an injury – usually much later, when the old wounds come back to life in the form of joint deterioration.
How To Treat Arthritis Located In The Knee
This begins with a physical examination and may include X-rays and in some cases MRI or CT scans.
The tests include feeling for:
- Swelling, warmth or redness in the knee
- Grating inside the knee
- Pain or tenderness
- Indications of injury
- Pain in multiple joints to test for rheumatoid arthritis
- A limp while walking
- Range of motion
Nonsurgical options for treatment include:
- Toning down on high impact sports or movement
- Physical therapy and exercise
- Chiropractic treatment to align the skeletal structure and decrease stress on the knee
- Losing weight
- Using a cane or knee brace
- Acupuncture
- Magnetic Pulse Therapy
Surgical options for treatment include:
- A fairly non-invasive technique is called Arthroscopy, in which doctors checks the knee using miniature instruments.
- Cartilage grafting, when cartilage is taken from another part of the body and grafted to the knee.
- The lining of the knee joint is removed in a process called Synovectomy, which relieves the stress of rheumatoid arthritis.
- When the shin or thigh bones are reshaped, it’s called an Osteotomy, and can take pressure off of the joint.
- A partial or full knee replacement or arthroplasty removes the knee’s affected cartilage and bone.