SPECIALIST CHORLEY SPORTS MASSAGE FOR KNEE PAIN
Knee pain affects around one in five people in the UK - although when it comes to the over 75s, it affects around one in three to one in four.
Find out what causes knee pain, what you can do to treat knee pain at home, what doctors can do for knee pain and how massage and sports massage can help people struggling with pain in knee or other mobility problems.
WHAT IS KNEE PAIN?
Written by Arran Tomlinson, Sports Massage Therapist at Muscle Mender, Buckshaw Village, Chorley
With knee pain being common, it's useful to understand how the knee works.
The knee joint is actually made up of three bones: the thigh bone (called the "femur"), the shin bone (called the "tibia") and the knee cap (called the "patella") that sits at the front of the knee and is the bit of the bone most people think of when they think of the knee.
Around these three bones are various muscles, ligaments, cartilage, and tendons. The muscles in the knee joint are the quadriceps (the "quads") at the front of the thigh and the hamstrings at the back of the knee.
The cartilage of the knee sits between the femur and the tibia. There are thee pain pieces of cartilage: the two menisci and the articular cartilage. These help cushion the thigh bone and the tibia so that the movement of the knee can be smooth and painless.
The ligaments in the knee help stabilise the knee joint so it can move correctly. There are four main ligaments that cross the back of the knee, and these are the ACL, PCL, MCL and LCL - the ACL and MCL are commonly injured in contact sports.
WHAT CAUSES KNEE PAIN?
For a long time, it was believed that knee pain was related to weight, with the theory being that if you were overweight, you were putting "too much strain" through the knee joint. More modern science suggests that actually, it is more likely to be due to inflammation, with overweight people being more likely to have inflammation in their bodies.
Other common causes of knee pain can include injuries like falls or accidents, arthritis and osteoarthritis, and poor alignment which can put additional stress on the knee joint.
HOW YOU CAN TREAT KNEE PAIN AT HOME IN CHORLEY
If you have knee pain, there are some treatments you can try at home.
Many people will try treating knee problems with painkillers. You should only take painkillers that you know are safe for you to take - if you don't know what painkillers are safe for you, a chemist or GP can help. Some painkillers help reduce the sensation of pain, but other painkillers (anti-inflammatories) help reduce inflammation too.
Some people will use either heat or ice to help with knee problems. Heat can feel very comforting when you have back pain. Ice can help reduce inflammation and numb the painful area, but studies now suggest that ice can slow healing in some cases.
Making sure you have supportive, useful footwear can also help with knee pain. Runners may find that changing their shoes to support their running style can help, and women may find that reducing heel height can help reduce knee pain too. Some people find "barefoot shoes" help reduce knee pain, but these should be introduced slowly.
Sports taping can be supportive and helpful for people with knee pain too, and there are guides and videos online about how to do this. Taping can give a feeling of stability similar to compression bandages without the bulkiness or sweatiness that many people find problematic.
HOW DOCTORS AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS TREAT KNEE PAIN
If home remedies don't help with your knee pain, you might decide to go and see a GP.
Many GPs will treat knee pain initially with stronger painkillers (prescription painkillers), and may refer you to a NHS Physiotherapist for further treatment. They may also refer you for an MRI or Xray to see if there is any structural cause for the pain you are feeling.
If structural issues are identified with the cartilage or ligaments, surgery may be considered in some cases.
A physiotherapist may suggest a variety of exercises and stretches to help relieve the pain and strengthen the leg and correct any postural problems that may be to blame for the knee pain.
Many people think that the ultimate treatment for knee pain is a "total knee replacement" or TKA. However, long term studies show that five years after surgery, people who have had a TKA don't really feel much better than people who had knee pain but didn't have surgery.
Some people choose to seek massage or sports massage therapy for knee pain. Sports massage - like that offered by Muscle Mender in Chorley - focuses on restoring movement and reducing pain, and while results cannot be guaranteed, many people find sports massage a useful complementary therapy for knee problems.
I treat knee pain using a variety of techniques, including massage, sports massage, cupping, scraping and kinesiology taping.
When I see my clients, I examine exactly what is going on because as a fully trained therapist, I know that the cause of pain is not always where you feel it - knee pain can be caused by issues in other parts of the body such as the hips, backs or ankles.
The treatment I offer is personalised for you, with the aim of helping you get back to doing what you love as soon as possible.