Knee pain is THE most common athletic injury to date (ACL tears). Typically the knee pain is one of the worst to deal with because it can effect the way you walk, which is a necessary function for every day life. The funny thing about your knee pain is that its rarely because of your knees. Thats why knee pain stinks. I know most of you will probably assume you are doomed to the life of needing a knee replacement when you get older, and have accepted it as your fate.
I am here to tell you that there are other solutions for your knee pain BESIDES surgery, knee sleeves, or orthotics.
First we must understand the knee in order to fix the problem. The knee is what the fitness industry refers to as a “hinge” joint. Yep, just like those things holding up your door into place. Continuing that analogy, let’s think about this for a minute. If you installed a door hinge that was slightly misaligned, the door and the frame would not line up perfectly and may damage the hinge, the door, or the frame.
Now picture this… The door is your foot, the frame is your hips, and the hinge is your knee. Very rarely is there anything EVER wrong with the hinge specifically. The problems usually lie with the poor installment connecting the frame to the door. So what does this mean for you?
Well, typically when addressing pain with our clients, we screen both the foot, and the hip to see if all mobility and stability requirements are met for both. If they aren’t, then we know where the problems lie. Is it possible to have only the foot or only the hip cause your knee pain? Absolutely.
For example, if you preform the ankle mobility test and your foot can reach past 5 inches over your toes without your heel coming up, then we know ankle mobility is not a culprit to your knee pain. So then we work up the leg to the hip. Appropriate correct exercises will help alleviate any sort of alignment issues with your legs, and start to work optimally (aka no pain).
Now, some will say that an orthotic or knee sleeves can help alleviate their pain. Which is true. For now. The problem with these types of treatments is that by using these products, you actually weakening them. Have you heard the term if you don’t use it, you lose it. If an in-sole or orthotic creates the arch of your foot for you, then you will lose the ability to create your own arch using your own muscle.
Any product that helps stabilize, will make your body become more unstable when you aren’t wearing that product. Which means that knee pain stinks even more.
So ditch those knee sleeves, ditch the orthotics, and tell your doctor who recommended surgery to F@#$ off. Rise Above has been helping people alleviate their pains PERMANENTLY for years in the Shorewood area. Book an appointment so we can help you with your pain, whatever it may be.
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