Dr. Smith treats Knee Pain through a variety of targeted methods. Whether it’s a sports injury, muscular imbalance, or torn ligament causing your issue, Dr. Smith will help to diagnose the issue and get you on the road to recovery. If you are seeking treatment for knee pain in Placitas or the surrounding areas of Bernalillo, Rio Rancho, Abq, or Santa Fe call or schedule online.
Treating Knee Pain | Abq
Causes of Knee Pain
For all the problems that people have with their knees, it is a relatively stable joint. Pain arises for a number of different reasons: plant and twist injuries, direct impact (sports and motor vehicle injuries), osteoarthritis, and muscular tightness. Many large muscles attach at and around the knees. Therefore, tendinitis is a very common cause of knee pain. This is especially true in hilly areas where walking is a common form of exercise.
The location of pain is often very meaningful. For instance, a tight IT band can cause pain on the lateral side of the knee. Tight Quads often cause pain above or inferior to the patella. Pain deep below the patella may be due to arthritis or a tracking issue. A muscular imbalance between the Quadriceps and Hamstrings is another very common cause of pain in the anterior knee, often associated with heavy body weight workout routines (think boot camps or cross-fit).
Treating Knees in Pain
The diagnosis of your issue will determine its treatment protocol. Weak muscles need to be strengthened, while tight muscles need to be loosed through a variety of means. If your joints are already hypermobile, stretching is probably not for you. You will likely need to make friends with a foam roller or some sort of massage stick. The Knuckeball™ is a great massage tool for working with and around sensitive structures.
Patella tracking issues respond well to muscle balancing, kinesio taping and muscle scraping to address scar tissue. Torn ligaments, on the other hand, may require strengthening or sometimes surgery.
We will do our best to make you aware of what other treatment methods are applicable in your case. Ultimately the decision is yours, but he wants you to make the most informed decision possible.|