Bodyworks - Costa Life Magazine Online

Costa Life Clients
Company Name:	The Bodyworks Clinic
Business Type:	Health Clinic
Proprietor(s):	Estelle Mitchell
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Telephone:	952 883 151
Mobile:	N/A
E-mail:	N/A
Website:	www.TheBodyworksClinic.com

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The Bodyworks Clinic

Knee Problems

It may seem obvious but the knees provide support for the body and allow the legs to bend and straighten. What is not so obvious is that the knee is the largest joint in the body and one of the most complex. The knee joint is made up of four bones connected by muscles, ligaments and tendons that provide the necessary stability, and cartilage which allows the bones to smoothly move over and around each other.

There are two main types of knee problems, mechanical and inflammatory. Mechanical problems may result from injury, osteoarthritis or wear and tear and inflammatory problems can result from certain rheumatic diseases e.g. rheumatoid arthritis.

Knee pain is a very common problem with around 40,000 people having knee replacements every year. With research showing that one in four women and one in five men suffering significant and persistent knee pain, is there an alternative to painful surgery and rehabilitation?

Remember that pain is a warning. Most individuals put up with a large amount of unnecessary discomfort and unfortunately, because a great deal of knee pain has no obvious trauma to identify it, many continue to suffer needlessly due to initial inappropriate or incorrect diagnosis. To get to the root cause of the problem, a full assessment by a fully qualified bio-mechanical specialist is so important.

Swelling of the knee and surrounding area is not normal and indicates inflammation and needs treating – immediately. Whilst this swelling may not be painful, it will stress the surrounding structures of the joint. If the swelling is painful and the knee is hot, this needs clear identification in order to find a suitable and appropriate solution. Unless this is cleared, on-going problems will persist.

If there has been no obvious injury or trauma, there are three basic and common causes of on-going, non-specific knee pain that are often missed namely:

Foot posture problems
Weak thigh (quadriceps) muscles
Inability to fully straighten the leg.

Foot posture problems are the main cause of non-specific knee pain and can be easily rectified by the fitting and wearing of computerised, prescription orthotics. Insoles that can be purchased “over-the-counter” may give some initial relief but be aware, they often eventually contribute to more problems than they solve.

To correct weak thigh muscles, a specialised quadriceps exercise routine should be started as weakness in these muscles makes for inadequate support of the knee. If the muscles have “switched off” following injury or surgery, there is a specialised wrap around garment, with scientifically placed and programmed electro-stimulators, which allows the body to re-educate and utilise the quadriceps efficiently and effectively.

To avoid future bio-mechanical problems, it is imperative to get the knee straight after surgery or other trauma. Here, there is a specific patient controlled unit that gently stretches and straightens the knee and is a “must” for anybody with knee issues.

Medication in the form of anti-inflammatory tablets or cortisone injections is often used in the “conservative” treatment of knee problems. The former is not kind to the stomach (because of often adverse reaction to the medication) and the injection route is now avoided by most forward thinking doctors as cortisone has been shown to “rot” ligaments and tendons. So while these may help in the short term, they create massive long term problems.

There is now a hugely exciting treatment that has recently come out of Germany, a derivative of MRI Scanner technology called Magnetic Resonance Therapy (MRT). MRT is currently being used by over 300 surgeons in Germany and to date; over 85,000 patients have been treated. MRT forces the body to repair, harden and thicken cartilage, it reduces bone inflammation, and it can dramatically reduce pain – “stairs no longer seem like Everest” being one quote.

As surgeons usually go the route they know best i.e. surgery, even if they call it by some other name, it can be seen that avoiding or at least postponing surgery is a specialist’s role. Simple pain free remedies can often be found for a painful knee so help yourself to early advice and save yourself unwanted pain or discomfort. Remember, pain of any sort is not a necessity.

For more details or to learn more, patients may self refer direct to Estelle Mitchell, Biomechanical and Musculoskeletal Specialist and your English Chartered Physiotherapist by calling 952 883 151 or by visiting her websites at: www.TheBodyworksClinic.com, www.GrowCartilage.com or www.PhysioFoot.com