Your Knee Pain May Be Caused By Flat Feet & Pronated Arches

Knee pain is such a common occurrence that most people consider it a "part of their body" that won't go away. Arthritis is commonly blamed as the culprit, yet it is our clinical experience that the arthritis is merely a result of a chronic problem rather than the cause. That does not mean that arthritis cannot be the initial cause of a joint problem, such as Rheumatoid arthritis, yet it is uncommon.

Look well to the feet for the cause of the common knee pain.

The ACL (or anterior cruciate ligament) is probably the most injured ligament in the knee. It often becomes unstable due to a weakening of the Quadricep muscle. This large muscle keeps the upper leg bone, the Femur, directly in line with the lower leg bone, the Tibia. Fallen arches in the foot, otherwise called pronated arches, allow the Tibia to rotate out of position, thus forcing the quadricep muscle to work harder. This chronic strain on the knee, especially in overweight individuals, causes small muscle tears where these supporting muscles attach to bones.

Doctors educated in Applied Kinesiology have been trained to treat such conditions in the knee. Despite degeneration in the knee joints, patients typically experience improvement within several treatments. Foot support using orthotics is suggested to reduce rotation of the Tibia. Direct treatment of the knee may only supply short-term relief if the cause of the joint dysfunction is not determined. This is why proper foot, knee, and hip analysis is a wise idea.

Any doctor proficiently trained in Applied Kinesiology has the ability to assess all joints of the body and accompanying muscles.

Hope you enjoyed this information...~Dr. Fox

tags:
fallen arches, plantar fascitis, Knee Pain, quadricep strain, ACL, Anterior Cruciate Ligament, meniscus tear, Osgood Schlatters, Knee Tendonitis, Knee Surgery, Knee Rehabilitation

Dr. Fox trained in Chiropractic Extremity Adjustment to the Foot and Ankle

Dr. Fox recently participated in additional training for Sports and Occupational Injuries of the Foot and Ankle, presented by International Speaker Dr. Mitch Mally, who is considered a "10th degree black belt in extremity adjusting.



Common injuries and pathologies of the foot and related mechanics were covered, including inversion sprains, plantar fascitis, achilles tendonitis, high ankle sprains, avulsion fractures, and arch problems, just to name a few. Specific Chiropractic adjustments were demonstrated by Dr. Mally for each type of foot imbalance. Major areas of focus were in adjustments to the Calcaneus, Talus, Navicular, Tarsals, Cuneiforms, Metatarsals, and Phalanges.



Dr. Mally's review of the literature further supported altered gait and mechanics throughout the body, including tibial torsion at the knee, femoral bone anteversion, sacral & lumbar spine unleveling, piriformis muscle strain, and other global symptoms.



The emphasis is added that the imbalance of the foot, in any situation, is going to alter muscle and other supporting structures of the body which are likely to cause pain. This is clear evidence that a doctor must have a whole view of the body when treating pain disorders.



The most common type of foot and ankle pain is due to inversion sprains of the ankle. Over time, the affect on the arch is usually pronation of the foot and a valgus deformity of the ankle or mortise joint. This type of fallen arch causes the tibia bone to internally rotate and force the quadricep muscle to over-work in order to keep the knee aligned. Medial knee pain or anterior knee pain over the infrapatellar tendon is a common result. This can lead to a condition called Osgood Shlatter's in children or Chondromalacia Patella in adults. Dr. Fox received specific one-on-one instruction in correcting this type of tibial torsion or rotation in the weekend symposium.



Furthermore, an inverted type foot imbalance will cause femoral head anteversion, which literally means the femoral head has internally rotated and move anterior to the acetabulum. This type of motion stretches the piriformis muscle and psoas muscle, causing multiple biomechanical and postural changes. The piriformis muscle is particularly problematic because it may cause a general imbalance to the entire spine by shifting the sacrum from its normal position and causing a mal-alignment of the foundation of the spine.

The most common symptom of a Piriformis imbalance or Piriformis Syndrome is Sciatica. A properly trained Chiropractor can easily detect if the imbalance lies in the spine, pelvis, or lower in the foot and ankle. At times, an orthotic may be necessary to correct a foot and ankle problem once the ankle has been adjusted into a correction position and supported by muscular rehab.

Due to the precision of the body's proprioceptive mechanism, foot imbalance can cause pain symptoms throughout the body, including head and neck (including headaches), jaw & TMJ, low back, pelvis, and knees. After a visit to a Chiropractor, symptomatic relief of pain usually occurs in a short amount of time yet stabilization and correction of the imbalance take time in order to allow proper healing.

Plantar Fascitis Commonly Caused by Long Term Foot Imbalance and Pronation

The first step out of bed in the morning can be a painful one, particularly if you have plantar fascitis.

Plantar means 'bottom of the foot', Fasciae means the 'connective tissue', and (Fasc) "itis" tells us that the tissue is inflammed ("-itis"). That's where Plantar Fascitis is derived.

Common foot imbalances, included dropped or fallen arches contribute greatly to the development of plantar fascitis due to long-term strain that is created in the muscle and surrounding tissues. Not only does your body need to send minerals, vitamins, proteins and other factors to the tissue to allow it to repair, the tissue also needs to be able to flush itself out. In other words, you need materials to repair the inflammed tissue, meanwhile get rid of toxic by-products created by normal muscle and connective tissue metabolism.

This essentially opens a can of worms when it comes to treating plantar fascitis because it allows us to recognize that their are structural components (muscles, joints, tendons, tissues, etc.) as well as chemical components (b-vitamins, hormones, antioxidants, omega 3 and 6 fats, etc.) that need to be addressed to completely correct a case of plantar fascitis.

The best first approach is to seek the consult of an Applied Kinesiologist. This type of doctor, usually trained in Chiropractic, has the ability to evaluate the structural as well as the chemical factors preventing your healing.

In many instances, a properly fitted CUSTOM orthotic will help to maintain any imbalances of the foot after the foot has been evaluated and treated. This process doesn't occur overnight, but it typically relieves pain and discomfort within a short period of time, meanwhile allowing the muscles and tendons a chance to recover from their previously strained state.

The occurrence of plantar fascitis commonly affects women more than men. The reasons can be multiple, but the underlying difference probably lies in the sensitivity of the female hormone system, diet, nutrition, and susceptibility to stress.

Common signs of a foot imbalance include foot, ankle, knee, hip, and low back pain. The development of a bunion on the Great Toe is also a clear sign of a foot imbalance, generally due to a fallen meta-tarsal arch or fallen medial longitudinal arch of the foot. Once a bunion has formed, an orthotic is unlikely to correct it, but it will certainly keep the bunion from getting significantly worse.

Adherence to a semi-strict nutrition program and eating style provides a lot of relief to fatigued muscles and other joints that are not repairing or healing well. See my list of food ingredients to avoid to get yourself pointed in the right direction to eating better. It is also reccommendation to follow the Standard Process 21 Day Purification Cleanse as a method of initiating a change in diet. This process helps curb cravings and other poor food habits, meanwhile allowing you to eat all you want, lose weight, and gently cleanse the bowels, liver, gallbladder, and other organs of detoxification.

In order to provide fast relief of Plantar Fascitis, a combination of chiropractic techniques have been developed in our office, including chiropractic manipulation, myofascial release, reflexology, and acupuncture. A combination of one or all of these techniques usually offers significant relief of pain in the plantar (bottom) surface of the foot. These results will often be permanent if the proper lifestyle modifications can be made. Please call our office to speak with our physician about your individual needs.