Knee pain

The knee joint is the largest joint in the body permitting flexion and extension along with slight internal and external rotation movements. The knee joint consists of an articulation between the femur ( thigh bone) and tibia ( lower leg bone). There is also an articulation with the knee cap to form the patella-femoral joint. The knee joint is a very important joint taking quite a large amount of load on a day to day basis. A restriction or injury to the knee joint can cause associated problems to occur with your back or visa versa. It is very important to protect your knees. The knee joints are prone to wear and tear as they are weight bearing joints. Two conditions which can be prematurely avoided are osteoarthritis and chondromalacia patella. Seeing one of our physiotherapists for an assessment on your knees will help identify your risk factors to osteoarthritis and chondromalacia patella and therefore help educate and teach you on self-treatment strategies to preventing premature painful knees.

The knee joints are prone to wear and tear in high impact sports such as running and basketball, obesity and cycling. Knee pain is commonly associated with a mal-alignment of the knee cap due to muscle imbalance issues or poor foot biomechanics e.g. flat arches. Chondromalacia patella is a painful condition which occurs due to a shift in the knee cap cause by muscle imbalance. The cartilage under the surface of the knee cap becomes worn down as it is not articulating correctly with the cartilage of the thigh bone. When the cartilage wears down it can cause pain and swelling. One of our physiotherapists will be able to educate you after assessing your knees to see if you are at risk to developing this painful condition. They can also help alleviate your pain and correct any alignment problems that you may have. This way your knee will be protected against any undue stresses and strains.