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Runner’s Knee

When the weather begins to get nice outside people tend to engage in outdoor leisurely activities like golf, biking and running. During this time our office starts to see a number of people that wish to be able to enjoy running in particular without pain. Did you know that chiropractors can treat knee pain that comes from running?

How do you know if you have runner’s knee?

Swelling in the knee, pain that occurs within the kneecap, and pain that increases during running but then decreases at rest are traditional symptoms of runner’s knee. Before any sort of treatment begins, we examine our patients thoroughly. We put them through a movement assessment to provide specific exercises for treatment.  If the knee is not sitting properly within the joint, repetitive forces while running contribute to instability and overall pain. The surrounding ligaments and muscles that are around and attached to the knee now are in jeopardy of potential injury.

With all of our runner’s and athletes, we highly recommend and perform a foot scan to assess the need for orthotic support. Orthotics provide stabilization of the knee and this comes from having a balanced foundation at the foot. With that being said, we analyze the feet for instability on every patient that has running problems. We frequently find misalignments in the foot and ankle and pair them with knee adjustments on patient visits. Limited foot and ankle mobility do impact how a person runs and they do contribute to runner’s knee.

We also offer traditional Chinese acupuncture with infrared light therapy to help reduce pain and provide overall healing to the knee. It has been shown to speed up recovery when done consistently with chiropractic adjustments. We commonly find trigger points that contribute to symptoms that can very easily be treated. Alternative therapies including cupping and massage are also recommended as needed after case review since no two patients are the same.

The Van Ness Chiropractic Difference

At Van Ness Chiropractic, we realize that managing sports injuries is not one size fits all. Our doctors have the clinical knowledge to offer treatment that is both effective and empowering.  Call us today at 847-842-8070 to set up your appointment for a comprehensive examination and get on the road to health today.  You can also visit us at vannesschiro.com to find out more.