Knee pains and exercises
Knee pain has been occupying me a lot in clinic this week. I don’t know whether it’s the weather, the new year exercise regimes or why so many of the same thing present in one week, but they often do. Featuring this week is pain below the knee cap, especially on going up stairs or slopes, with or without a clicking sensation. Many active people present with new anterior knee pain, even without a change in their activity type, level or frequency. This is very frustrating for them.
The knee joint is the largest boney joint in the body but consists, simply, of one bone balancing on another, end on end. This requires strong ligaments, cartilage buffers and strong muscles to propel and support the body and keep this joint working properly. With age, overuse or misuse the delicate balance of this joint and its tissues can be strained and irritated. For example, hamstring dominance (especially if the buttock muscles are weak) can cause the knee to be held in a slightly bent position, which may create undue pressure through the kneecap, causing pain.
Helping knee pain
These type of functional problems are caused by the mechanics of the body not working efficiently. Fixing these problems usually needs some hands-on tissue work, as well as some exercise homework by the patient. Many knee problems seem to benefit from strengthening work to knee itself but also from addressing problems at the joints above and below. Please book an appointment to be assessed. I have attached a link to an exercise sheet that I have given, with a few modifications, to several patients, and you may wish to try these carefully and see how you get on https://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/conditions/osteoarthritis-of-the-knee/knee-pain-exercises.aspx . A word of warning though : it often takes several weeks for the exercises to have an impact and the symptoms to subside, so don’t give up, but don’t go crazy and do stop if things are getting worse.