Knee & Thigh Conditions

 

Lateral Thigh

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Medial Knee Joint

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Lateral Knee Joint

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Proximal Anterior Knee

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Distal Anterior Knee

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Kneecap (Patellar)

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Quadriceps

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Medial Posterior Knee

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Lateral Posterior Knee

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Medial Thigh

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Knees are highly susceptible to arthritis; they have to deal with rotation from above and impact with rotation from below. If these timings do not co-ordinate, your knees suffer.

Your knee is one of the places you are most likely to suffer the pain of osteoarthritis. It is a complex joint bearing our weight and co-ordinating the movements of the thigh, kneecap and shin. It is prone to injury.

Arthritis usually develops in joints that have been injured or overused in sport or a repetitive task. It can also develop if you have poor biomechanics, for example, your hip and ankle are out of alignment so your knee may have to adjust, over time this can lead to bone inflammation (osteoarthritis). The surface of the knee suffers age-degenerative wear and tear and cartilage that protects the ends of bones from rubbing against the joint wears away causing symptoms of pain, stiffness, crepitus (creaking) and swelling. Knees can also become less stable.

Orthotics can be used to realign poor biomechanics and bring pain relief to your knee.

An ‘old fashioned’ term for swelling at the front of your knee, usually caused by constant kneeling and twisting.

Common symptoms of Housemaid’s Knee include Inflammation and swelling of the prepatellar bursa (small fluid-filled sac protecting the front of the knee) and extra bone or soft tissue growing to protect the knee from continued stress. These swellings can get in the way of your knees’ normal function, giving you pain in your knee and even your feet or back, making it difficult to work.

Whereas the symptoms of Housemaid’s Knee were prevalent amongst housemaids, with changing times and technology, it is far more common amongst tradesmen today who have to kneel frequently for their work. This includes roofers, tilers and plumbers.

Acupuncture can be extremely helpful in curing initial pain and reducing recovery time. Once stabilised, we will probably suggest stretches and exercises to help loosen tight muscles and strengthen the area. Precision made orthotics can also be effective.

The ITB is a thick band of non-elastic tissue (Facia) that helps to stabilise the outside of your knee. Pain occurs when the band is pulled where it doesn’t want to go.

The Iliotibial Band runs from your hip muscles along the outside of your thigh and helps to stabilise your knee. When the muscles attaching the band pull it in a direction it doesn’t want to go in you may get symptoms of knee pain (side of your knee), pain when bending or straightening and hip pain or tightness in the ITB as it runs down the outside of your thigh.

ITB Syndrome is very common amongst runners, particularly when running downhill. ITB Syndrome is sometimes referred to as Runner’s Knee. However, cyclists and hikers are also affected. Iliotibial Band pain can also be caused by poor biomechanics such as the Iliotibial Band being too tight or too wide; weak hip muscles and over-pronation.

Stretches and Exercises, bespoke orthotics (including specific ones just for running) and acupuncture are very effective in bringing pain relief from ITB.

A condition where the knees ‘squint’ (face) towards each other. If you have knock-knees, you are more likely to have back, hip, knee or foot problems.

Knock Knees is a deformity of the lower legs. An abnormal curvature results in a large gap between the feet and ankles when the knees are together.

As we develop, it is normal for our knees to ‘squint’ or face towards each other. Once we are fully-grown however (between 10 to 15 years) if the knees are still facing it can be the sign of a problem. As adults, women are more prone than men to have knock knees due to having a wider pelvis.

Knock-knees can occur as a result of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis or injury or accident to the lower legs. If you have knock-knees, you are more likely to suffer back, hip, knee or foot problems. For correction of knock-knees, we believe that stretches and exercises, shoe orthotics (insoles) which will adjust your walk (gait) and relieve your joints and acupuncture for pain relief, will help your discomfort.

If your hip is not functioning correctly or your feet are flat/high arched the synchronisation between the bones above and below your knee will be out of time, pulling the kneecap out of position, causing pain.

Your knee acts as a hinge transmitting the movements of your foot to your hip and vice versa. If the bones above your knee are out of synchronisation with the bones below your knee it pulls the patella (kneecap) out of position, so it is not central (it is mal-tracking), this causes pain and can create a tilted kneecap.

Symptoms of mal-tracking patella include pain in the front (anterior) of the knee, particularly when descending stairs or running downhill. Causes of mal-tracking tend to be tightness in the hamstrings or calf muscles, altered posture in the hip, foot or knee, or an underlying biomechanical issue such as a shallow patellofemoral groove.

Athletes will be prone to this condition if they develop one set of muscles more than another as this pulls the patella out of alignment. With appropriate exercises and precision-made orthotics, you will be able to alleviate these problems.

A condition unique to the growing body. The pull of the tendon holding your kneecap to your shinbone is greater than the strength of the bone it attaches to.

Osgood-Schlatter Disease affects growing teenagers who play sport; it is rarely found in adults. It tends to affect boys more than girls and particularly in sports that involve kicking (football, rugby), running and jumping.

It occurs when the quadriceps muscles are more developed (through sport) than the tibia. The quads attach to the patellar which pulls on the patellar ligament that is attached to the tibia. If the tibia isn’t fully developed, it won’t be strong enough to cope with the repeated strain. This will cause pain and swelling just below the knee where the ligament attaches.

Following careful assessment, we will prescribe a range of measures to assist recovery including stretches and exercises, Foot Manipulation Exercises and orthotics.

Your patella (kneecap) is designed to focus the pull of your quadriceps onto your shin. If your foot and hip movement are out of synchronisation, the stress at your patella may damage the tendon.

Patella Tendonitis, also known as Jumper’s Knee as it is so common in sports athletes involved in jumping sports, is caused when the Patella Tendon, which connects the patella (kneecap) to the shinbone, becomes overstressed.

Common symptoms include pain on the side, front or below the knee and an inflamed, irritated tendon. It is prevalent amongst sports people involved in basketball, volleyball, tennis, gymnastics and dance, but also amongst cyclists.

At BxClinic Norwich, following a thorough assessment of your symptoms we will often recommend orthotics, Stretches & Exercises and/or Acupuncture to aid your recovery.

If your foot is not doing its job properly or your knee is unstable, your calf muscles can become overworked, causing knee pain.

Two powerful calf muscles pass over the back of your knee and help to stabilise it. Symptoms of pulling your calf muscles include sharp pain at the back of the lower leg, swelling, bruising and tenderness at the point of the specific injury.

Pulled calf muscles are normally caused when there is a quick or sudden push off of the calf to accelerate movement; rapid changes in direction; overstretching or if you already have tight calf muscles. It can affect anyone, but is very common amongst sports people involved in running and jumping sports and racquet sports.

Recovery time for a pulled calf muscle varies depending on the severity of the injury. After initial rest to allow the muscles to heal and the pain to subside, we recommend specific stretches and exercises for strengthening the area and custom prescribed orthotics.

When you pull a muscle in your quadriceps (the most powerful group of muscles in your body) bending your hips and knees is difficult and painful.

Your Quadriceps (Quads), the four muscles on the front of the upper thigh, enable you to bend and extend, walk and run. Symptoms of pulling or straining a quad muscle include pain when stretching and flexing, sharp pain in the thigh, muscle spasm and swelling. Severity varies from mild to severe.

Injury to the quads is particularly common amongst many athletes of all levels including footballers, runners and sprinters, rugby players and martial artists. It often occurs when athletes try to accelerate too quickly, are hit by a tackle (football/rugby), or they do not warm the muscles up properly before exercise.

Recovery from a pulled muscle in the quad (after initial rest) can be helped by specific stretches and exercises for strengthening and custom prescribed orthotics.

Runner’s Knee is the name given to a group of different problems that affect the front and inside of your knee.

The name Runner’s Knee is given to several different conditions that cause pain in the front of your knee. Any sport that has a repetitive impact on your joints, including running but also skiing, football, cycling, dancing can lead to damage that causes knee pain.

Pain symptoms from Runner’s Knee are felt in the anterior knee including the kneecap or when bending. Often discomfort is worse after running, walking downstairs or downhill. You might suffer swelling and a ‘grinding’ sensation as well.

Causes of Runner’s knee include over-training that can strain the tendons; a fall or direct blow or a biomechanical imbalance when pain might not be a problem with the knee but your hip or foot not working your knee properly. Norfolk's BxClinic will assess your particular problem, find the underlying cause and treat accordingly. This may include stretches and exercises, orthotics, acupuncture and/or Foot Manipulation Therapy.