Chiropractic treatment for knee and foot pain.
May 8, 2014
Run for the Zoo.
This past weekend in Albuquerque we had the annual Run for the Zoo event that is a 5K run. My son who is ten participated along with his Aunt who came down from Denver to initiate him into the world of running.
I myself am not a runner and prefer run on a treadmill as the pavement on a street is a little to hard on my back and knees because I’m a little top heavy and bulky, ironically when I dance flamenco (which demands lot’s of pounding on the floor) I don’t have the same knee or back pain. Every body type has its strengths in movement, so it’s important to find one that fits your body type.
I recommend swimming, and non impact aerobics for people with degenerative joint disease or injury. We are fortunate to have GyrotonicAlbq. here at A Spinal Health and Movement Center as it is a non impact modality and excellent for injury rehab. But the point is that whether it is dance, running, or bicycling, what works best will be different for everyone.
Knee Pain.
My sister in law Francie and I were discussing knee pain in runners as she is a ironman athlete and has done more runs than anyone I know. So she said she was having knee pain and the exercise that helped the most were leg extensions with low weight and high repetition. Makes sense to me, after if you are running you will not build up the vastus medialis musculature of the thigh as strong as the lateral musculature of the thigh and the patella will begin to track abnormally laterally to the outside causing abnormal tracking and irritation, and inflammation on the underside of the patella.
Of course getting regular adjustments to the hip and pelvis will help proper alignment so that you don’t have functional difficulties later. I like to adjust the foot as it is very overlooked by chiropractors. There are 26 bones in the foot and they to will have misalignments especially if there is plantar weakness, excessive load and strain, or weight increases. It’s important not to overlook your feet and knees as well when you get adjustments from your chiropractor.
Pain treatment vs. Wellness Treatment.
Most people come in usually driven by pain from degenerative joint disease, meniscal tear or ligament strains in the lower extremities which are very difficult to treat with chiropractic alone and usually require co-treatment with orthopedic and physical therapy and can be very expensive.
I try look for the joints that are starting to fail but have not alerted one to pain, as the pain threshold for joint dysfunction has not be reached. Regardless, I prefer to check people for joint instability and balance dysfunction as part of a routine adjustment whenever I can, and hopefully before things start to fail and predispose one to injury. This is prevention and wellness care, and in the long run, more cost effective.
This is my small yet practical and very valuable recommendation for runners or athletes with knee pain: get your hips, knees and especially foot adjusted on a regular basis along with your spine. Find a chiropractor that will adjust extremities. Your joints will thank you.
Dr. Ramirez
Dr Ramirez 