Spilling the Tea on the Knee
That beautiful joint in the middle of the leg. The connection between the ankle & hip.
The Joint that undergoes ~800,000 replacements a year in the US
The joint that is seamingly simple, but holds a lot of pain! Pain that stops you from moving towards your happiness.
So when I get the question:
My knee hurts! What’s wrong?
All I can say is it’s like a 2010 Facebook relationship status, “It’s Complicated’
Here’s a very basic overview of the knee…
knee images from Left to Right: 1. Boney, ligament and tendon anatomy of the anterior and posterior tibiofemoral joint. 2. Muscular and tendon attachments of the anterior knee. 3. Muscular attachments of the posterior knee
The knee has 3️⃣ movements: flexion, extension and rotation (rotation in the last 30 degrees of knee extension thanks to the popliteal muscle and forces act differently when the foot is on the floor [closed chain] vs. when the foot is in the air [open chain])
It’s made up of 3 joints. 1️⃣Tibiofemoral (the primary joint), 2️⃣Patellafemoral & 3️⃣Tibiofibular.
With 2 collateral ligaments, 2 Cruciate Ligaments, 2 Meniscus
Patellar Tendon, hamstrings and gastroc tendons
Loads of bursa
AND from these pictures alone, you can see the importance of deserving 1:1 Help.
As this is only the knee…
The pain could be coming from the foot/ankle or back or hip.
And is why after seemingly “not a big deal injury” like an ankle sprain or falling and landing on your hip. If it put you out of your normal movement routine for at least a week, I would encourage you to make sure you receive help (even if this injury was years ago). Because our mechanics change and this small change can play a role in current knee pain.
So while we have special tests and imaging
NONE OF THIS EXPLAINS
WHY YOU HURT!
Because many people have osteoarthritis (hello college basketball players), meniscus tears, inflamed bursae and tendons and they are walking around without a care in the world.
Because PAIN IS ALSO A 2010 FB RELATIONSHIP STATUS: COMPLICATED
Pictures and Physical Diagnosis is only 1 part of the puzzle.
The toll it takes on our identity as you start to define yourself as someone who
“used to do _____ before I screwed my my stupid knee”
So Yes, the physical diagnosis matters, but it does not have to define who YOU are. It only defines a part of you for RIGHT NOW. You have so much more to offer, and I can be that person who helps you say
“ I AM A _______ and I had a painful knee, but that didn’t stop me”
Looking for an action step for your knee pain? Here it is.
The BEST THING YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR KNEE RIGHT NOW IS
WALK!
Study after study after study confirms this, and here is a very recent study, again confirming walking for knee pain.
Research article from Jul 2024 confirming the continued importance of walking.
They found walking PREVENTS structural progression of Knee osteoarthritis and reduced pain in early stages. It also helps to improve knee extensor strength 🌟
So if You’re ready to take action on your knee, ankle, foot pain this fall,
you can sign up for a call to learn more about 1 on 1 support
or sign up to stay updated on a new WalkTOEber Challenge! Happening Oct 1-31, 2024
