Compassionate Care and Professionalism
Providing the best in care by using the latest technologies.
Get a Free Consultation Today!
Knee and Ankle Injuries
SCHEDULE TODAY
GOT QUESTIONS? HOW CAN WE HELP?
Because the lower extremities support the spine through the pelvis, they will influence its mechanics, the way the pelvis stands and behaves. This will be all the more relevant if the symptoms are particularly worse when standing and/or walking. Because of this, chiropractors are particularly interested in the well-being of the feet and legs. The latter are designed to carry the body above and to provide movement while keeping the spine and pelvis in balance. These tasks are very demanding and require strength as well as agility. For these incompatible reasons, problems will occur and come within the field of chiropractors.
The most common injury to the ankle is turning it in, such as when wearing high heels and turning it over by stepping on a stone or edge of a kerb. This is the common ankle sprain. Occasionally the end of a bone on the outside of the ankle breaks. Most often, the ligaments of the ankle on the front and side get torn and produce massive swelling and bruising. It usually takes 4 to 6 weeks to recover from the immediate injury. However, the ligaments very rarely repair satisfactorily and often become full of scar tissue which is not elastic. For this reason it is very common to roll the ankle over again and sprain it several times after the initial injury. Such repeated traumas will influence the mechanics of the ankle and cause some insult to the joint and the structures above such as the knee and spine. These usually tend to become obvious after jogging or long walks. Because the symptoms may not be in the ankle but in some distant joint, you do not necessarily think of that old ankle injury being the origin of it. Dr. Johnson, through careful case history and examination, will be able to discover the possibility of this cause and remedy it accordingly.
The knees have the most unbelievable task of bending through 180 degrees between the two longest bones of the body and yet have very little support from the muscles (unlike the hip joint). For this reason, they rely on strong ligaments to keep the two bones together and the cartilages (menisci) to make them fit tightly together when the knee is fully extended. The wide range of movement means that the knee will be prone to wear and tear both at the kneecap and at the main joint (arthritis). When the knee starts to bend, the slackening of the ligaments makes the cartilages vulnerable to trauma.
Arthritis is by far the most common problem of the knees and cannot be reversed. However, a good understanding of the mechanical strain on the knee can help us reduce the discomfort from it. This could come from the foot and ankle or the pelvis and the hip. Dr. Johnson is well equipped to discover the pattern and advise you accordingly.
