Charlotte’s top chiropractor for knee adjustment explains runner’s knee

Chiropractor for knee adjustment can help manage and treat runner’s knee

Charlotte’s top chiropractor for knee adjustment can help you treat and manage runner’s knee. Running is a great way to stay fit and healthy, but it can also put a lot of stress on your knees. Runner’s knee is a common term for various types of knee pain that affect runners and other athletes. It can interfere with your performance and quality of life, and may even lead to more serious problems if left untreated.

Fortunately, chiropractic care can help you deal with runner’s knee and prevent it from happening again. Chiropractors are trained to diagnose and treat musculoskeletal conditions, including knee pain. They use natural and holistic methods to improve your body’s alignment, function, and healing ability.

In this article, we will explain what causes runner’s knee, how chiropractic care can help, and what you can do to prevent it.

What Causes Runner’s Knee?

Runner’s knee is not a specific diagnosis, but rather a general term for different kinds of knee pain that affect runners. Some of the most common causes of runner’s knee are:

• Osteoarthritis: This is a degenerative condition that occurs when the cartilage that cushions your joints wears down over time. This causes friction, inflammation, and pain in your knees. Osteoarthritis can be caused by aging, injury, or overuse.
• Rheumatoid arthritis: This is an autoimmune condition that causes your immune system to attack your own joints. This leads to swelling, stiffness, and damage in your knees and other parts of your body. Rheumatoid arthritis can be triggered by genetic factors, infections, or environmental factors.
• Meniscal injury: This is a tear or damage in the meniscus, which is a rubbery disc that acts as a shock absorber between your thigh bone and shin bone. A meniscal injury can be caused by twisting or rotating your knee forcefully, or by degeneration due to aging or arthritis.
• Patellar tendonitis: This is an inflammation or injury of the patellar tendon, which connects your kneecap to your shin bone. Patellar tendonitis can be caused by overuse, repetitive stress, or improper running technique.
• Misalignment: This is when your spine, pelvis, hips, legs, or feet are not properly aligned. This can cause uneven pressure and stress on your knees and other joints. Misalignment can be caused by poor posture, muscle imbalance, injury, or structural abnormalities.

How Can Chiropractic Care Help?

Chiropractic care can help you treat and prevent runner’s knee by addressing the root cause of your pain and improving your overall health. Here are some of the benefits of chiropractic care for runner’s knee:

• Eases pain and strengthens the knee: Chiropractors use manual therapy techniques such as spinal manipulation, joint mobilization, soft tissue massage, and stretching to relieve pain and tension in your muscles, ligaments, and tendons around your knee. They also help you restore your range of motion and function in your knee joint. By improving your alignment and biomechanics, chiropractors can also reduce the stress and strain on your knee and prevent further damage.
• Establishes the root cause of your injury: Chiropractors do not just treat the symptoms of runner’s knee, but also look for the underlying factors that contribute to it. They perform a thorough examination of your spine, pelvis, hips, legs, feet, posture, movement patterns, and lifestyle habits to identify any misalignments or imbalances that may be affecting your knees. They then design a personalized treatment plan that addresses your specific needs and goals.
• Preventative treatment: Chiropractors can also help you prevent runner’s knee from occurring or recurring by providing you with advice and guidance on how to improve your running technique, posture, footwear, nutrition

How to Prevent Runner’s Knee?

The best way to prevent runner’s knee is to avoid overloading your knees and keep them healthy and strong. Here are some tips to prevent runner’s knee:

• Improve your running technique: Running with proper form can help you reduce the impact and stress on your knees and other joints. Some of the key aspects of good running technique are: keeping your eyes ahead, relaxing your hands and shoulders, maintaining a tall posture, avoiding over-striding, and landing softly on your feet. You can also use a metronome or a music app to increase your cadence (the number of steps you take per minute), which can help you shorten your stride and run more efficiently.
• Wear appropriate footwear: Wearing shoes that fit well and suit your foot type and running style can make a big difference in preventing runner’s knee. Shoes that are too worn out, too tight, or too loose can affect your alignment and stability, and increase the risk of injury. You may also benefit from using orthotics or inserts to correct any foot problems such as flat feet or high arches that may contribute to knee pain.
• Warm up and cool down: Warming up before running can help you prepare your muscles, joints, and cardiovascular system for the activity. Cooling down after running can help you lower your heart rate, relax your muscles, and prevent stiffness and soreness. A good warm-up and cool-down routine should include dynamic stretches, mobility exercises, and gentle cardio such as jogging or walking.
• Strengthen your muscles: Strengthening the muscles that support your knees can help you prevent runner’s knee by improving your stability, balance, and shock absorption. Some of the key muscles to work on are your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and core. You can do exercises such as squats, lunges, bridges, leg curls, calf raises, planks, and crunches to target these muscles. You can also use resistance bands, weights, or machines to add some challenge and variety to your workouts.
• Stretch your muscles: Stretching the muscles that surround your knees can help you prevent runner’s knee by improving your flexibility, range of motion, and blood flow. Some of the key muscles to stretch are your quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, calves, and iliotibial band (ITB). You can do static stretches such as standing quad stretch, seated hamstring stretch, kneeling hip flexor stretch, standing calf stretch, and standing ITB stretch to target these muscles. You can also use a foam roller or a massage ball to release any tightness or knots in these muscles.

Visit Charlotte’s top chiropractor for knee adjustment

ChiroCarolina® is among Charlotte’s trusted Chiropractic clinics, popular for its outstanding chiropractic care. We serve Uptown Charlotte, NoDa, and UNCC college areas with our convenient location on North Tryon Street. We are visited by patients throughout the south: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, and Texas. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.