Do you have knee and ankle pain when you move? Do your legs feel like tight and achy when you start moving after rest periods?
Does your knee and ankle pain prevent you from doing things that you love?
Here’s how you can fix them.
Knee and Ankle pain often go hand in hand. Poor ankle mobility will create instability above and below the joint meaning your toes, plantar fascia and knees take much of the extra stress (as well as the hips and lower back).
In a previous post, I spoke about how poor ankle mobility can lead to knee pain and how to use the deep squat to help fix it.
Another piece of the puzzle that we look at with all patients that come in with knee and ankle pain is both hip mobility as well as hip strength.
Tight and / or weak hip muscles creates instability of the low back and knees and can lead to both low back pain and disc herniations as well as knee pain and knee arthritis.
Occasionally when patients aren’t responding to ankle mobility exercises we start looking at the hips to see if the patient isn’t inadvertently shifting to one side more than another or pushing their hips forward – both putting pressure on adjacent areas potentially leasing to knee and ankle pain.
Another factor that commonly gets overlooked is the development of scar tissue and myofascial adhesions in the muscles and other soft tissue. Scar tissue interferes with the elasticity or stretchiness of the muscle which can ultimately put pressure on sensitive structures like a joint or a nerve.
Scar tissue can develop through macro trauma like a fall, collision or surgery but it more frequently develops through repetitive strain. Repetitive strain would be anytime a muscle has to work harder or be under constant tension for an extended period of time. It makes sense that if a muscle was frequently contracted or shortened that it is effectively going to starve off it’s blood supply and impair it’s ability to remove waste products resulting in scar tissue production and loss of flexibility.
So imagine knee and ankle pain can develop something like this: You sit intermittently through the day for long periods of time. You sit when you eat, work, read, drive and relax. The muscles in the front of the hip that stay in the shortened position for a cumulative total of multiple hours throughout the day start losing their stretchiness. Your butt muscles, the opposite guys effectively are in the “off” position for most of the day and they begin to get weaker and weaker with every day.
Your tight muscles in the front of your hips start pulling your pelvis forward and that starts to shorten your hamstrings and the ligaments behind your ankles. Your weak butt muscles start to defer their jobs to your quads or front thigh muscles and hamstrings. All the muscles surrounding your knees start to get tighter and tighter until you twist wrong or decide to go for a long walk and start to develop knee and ankle pain.
Unfortunately, all to often, the abnormal becomes normal and we feel that knee and ankle pain is just how it is. Patients often end up seeing the Orthopedic surgeon who can either offer only surgery or injections. They tell me that the Physical Therapist doesn’t manipulate the scar tissue to relieve the pain immediately or that they are only focused on the painful areas instead of looking at the body as a whole.
If you are suffering with knee and ankle pain and want to get to the root cause of your pain, start looking at your entire body for weak links. If you want to massively accelerate your results, feel free to reach out for an evaluation.
Dr. Jeremiah Jimerson, D.C.Founder of Elite Performance & Pain
Chiropractic Innovator
Myofascial and Neurological Specialist
Pioneering a holistic approach to chiropractic care, I focus on uncovering the root causes of discomfort, blending myofascial techniques like Active Release Therapy with neurological insights. My practice extends beyond traditional adjustments, delving into the complex interplay of muscles, nerves, movement and overall wellness.
Notable achievements: Hospital Residency Pioneer, Collaborator with Orthopedic Surgeons, Active Release Technique Certified since 2004, Experience with the Buffalo Bills, Ironman Triathlon, College of Charleston Track Team, and high-profile clients.
Passionate about personal health, anti-aging, and longevity. Devoted to activities like weightlifting, calisthenics, jiu-jitsu, movement, and outdoor adventures.
Serving chronic pain patients and athletes who seek innovative, effective solutions.
Connect with me: www.fixyourpaincharleston.com
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