Charlotte Area Clinic Making Strides in Knee Pain Treatment

May 11, 2012 - PRLog -- Knee Pain is a very common condition that is reported by 18-20% of the U.S. population. It affects the way one walks, works and lives. It can make hobbies and leisure activities such as going for a walk with your husband or wife, playing with your kids, and fitness activities very difficult.

Any pain or dysfunction at the knee can result in back, hip or foot and ankle pain. There are many common causes to knee pain, most of which are as a result of overuse or improper mechanics.

“During our evaluations, we often find that pain is the symptom of dysfunction elsewhere. Treating it without looking at the entire kinetic chain may offer some short term relief, but it does not address the cause of the problem and often leads to a more chronic condition,” says Chris Stulginsky, PT who is the owner of Ayrsley Town Rehabilitation.

Cortez Curtis has had pain in the front of his knee for three years. “I have been to 4 different doctors. They all took x-rays and told me I needed to exercise and lose weight. I was frustrated because I was never told what specifically to do and exercise made my knee worse.”

The knee pain located in the front of the knee was indicative of a problem elsewhere. “During the initial evaluation, Cortez was not getting much hip extension at all. Decreased hip extension typically results in increased bending of the knee, rotating the hip to the outside or positioning the foot and ankle outward while walking. In Cortez’s case he had compensated with external rotation at the hip, the knee followed suit and we had our issue.”

For the most part the primary motion of the knee is bending or straightening, which is called flexion and extension respectively; however, there is mild rotation at the knee joint which often goes unnoticed and can easily cause a great deal of dysfunction and pain throughout the joint.  The popliteus is a muscle that crosses from the outside of the knee to the inside of the knee at a 40 to 45 degree downward angle and is primarily responsible for this movement. The muscle also attaches to the lateral meniscus and often mimics meniscal derangement.

“Many knee exams are performed in sitting or while lying down. Traditional knee tests were negative. After watching Cortez walk just a few feet I had some clarity on what was going on, and confirmed it with further examination”, added Stulginsky.“When he started pressing on my knee, he was right on it,” says Curtis, who explained that for 3 years he has had difficulty playing with his kids, putting his feet on the ground when getting out of bed, and making it through his shift without intense discomfort.

Stulginsky says, “After seeing this presentation a number of times in the last few years, we have developed a protocol for this issue, which includes a simple, 2 step, self-care program. Everyone is built a little differently, it is not the same exact thing for every individual, but the themes are similar.

“I felt an instant difference,” said Curtis. “After two treatments, my pain is down 75%. Playing with my kids is easier, shifts at work are better.”

This dysfunction can cause a great deal of pain in many people, including competitive runners and weekend warriors. Stulginsky states that if this is the primary cause, it can be addressed relatively quickly in a very conservative, non-invasive fashion without medication or injections.

Mr. Curtis concludes, “I am happy that someone can finally tell me what was going on with my knee, and I have a solution that is fast, effective and easy enough that I can do it on my own.”