Knee pains and injuries are common among women. And people often think of knee arthritis, bursitis or medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury as the source of their knee pains. Whether your knee pain came on suddenly or you’ve been favouring your knee pain for months, it’s important to find out what causes the knee pains.
Knee pains from sport injuries or falls often involve the MCL, medial meniscus and the medial coronary ligament. The knee pains are commonly described as dull pain along the medial joint line and to the side of the knee cap. Twisting and pivoting of the injured knee may cause a jolt of sharp pain. People tend to ease their knee pains from MCL, medial meniscus and coronary ligament injuries by avoid bending or straightening the affected knee completely. Depending on the severity of the knee injury, swelling, clicking and the feeling of unable to full straighten the leg may be presented.
There’s one important factor which is often ignored by many clinicians when evaluating knee pains. Have you ever heard of the Q angle? No, it has nothing to do with algebra. This angle is especially important for women who like to walk, run or hike. It indicates how functionally aligned your pelvis, leg and foot are.
The Q angle is the angle between the quadriceps muscle and the patellar tendon. Women have a greater Q angle compared to men as their pelvis is wider. The standing Q angle for women is normally between 18-22 degrees. If your Q angle is above 22 degree, your knees will sustain greater biomechanical stress during strenuous or repetitive activities.
A common sign of Q angle problem is clicking and popping of the knee cap. You’ll often hear these distinctive clicking and popping sounds below the knee cap and feel the quadriceps tendon or knee cap clunks when you get up from sitting down for awhile or straighten your leg.
A high Q angle increases the chances of developing various knee problems including runner's knee pain, iliotibial band and patellofemoral pain syndrome. A high Q angle prevents smooth gliding movement between the knee cap and the knee. Over time, especially with repetitive activities, this type of micro trauma causes non-specific knee cap pain and pain to the front and behind the knee. As this abnormal tracking continues between the knee cap and the knee, various knee muscles become imbalanced, and the cartilage on the underside of the knee cap begins to wear thin. Eventually your knees become degenerative and develop osteoarthritis.
Treating Knee Pains
Treatment of knee pains should begin with conservative care before cortisone injection and surgery. Unless the sources of pain, instability, swelling, clicking and locking inside the knees are from a grade 3 ACL / MCL injuries, fragmented torn meniscus or any other osteochondritis dissecans, in which case, orthopaedic surgery is recommended; otherwise, chiropractic treatments are tremendously effective in treating many knee problems including arthritis.
I help provide health freedom to people living with knee pains and Q angle problems. I help them stay healthy and active from knee pains with chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue treatments and specific rehab exercises best suited for their needs and comfort levels. If you’re ready to be healthy and feel good again, please call 604-782-2029 for your knee pain consultation.
If you have any worry about your knee pain, please fill out the form below. I’ll answer your questions ASAP. Cheers!