How Chiropractic Care Helps Reduce Hip and Knee Pain
Nerves from the lumbar spine send messages from the brain and spinal cord to the hips and knees. Chiropractors adjust the lumbar spine when a patient has hip and knee pain because the spine is the source of nerve influence for those lower extremity regions.
The spine is a remarkable device. Each bony vertebra is connected to the one above and below by ligaments and muscles, cushioned between by discs, and moved by muscles that flex and extend. The spinal canal is the interior passageway in the middle of each vertebra through which the spine passes, connecting the superior brain to the caudal sacrum. Emanating bilaterally from the lateral aspect of each vertebra are spinal nerves through intervertebral foramina. Spinal nerves from the cervical neck region travel to the shoulders to the hands; from the lumbar lower back region, the spinal nerves go to the hips down to the toes. The spine protects the spine and information-carrying nerves, in addition to performing several other very important functions such as posture and body support. When things go wrong with the spine, it affects health in myriad ways.
Spinal injury and damage occur from direct trauma such as a car accident or a fall, or repetitive trauma such as continuous bending or twisting. Vertebral units dislocate, and surrounding muscles and ligaments tighten to stabilize unstable segments. Swelling and inflammation affect troubled regions, causing pain, immobility and eventually, increased joint destruction. This vertebral subluxation causes pinched nerves, as well.
At the chiropractic and acupuncture office of Dr. Lisa Oskardmay, we pay attention to the effects of spinal misalignment as it relates to hip and knee pain as well as to the side-effects of spinal subluxation- swelling and inflammation, muscle spasms and pain because these factors affect overall healing. We use chiropractic adjustments to correct vertebral subluxations in the lumbar spine as well as to correct deranged joint influences elsewhere, such as the hips and knees. We work to reduce the effects of both acute and chronic inflammation in the spine and extremity joints, surrounding muscles, and ligaments using soft tissue massage techniques such as cupping, gua sha, and transverse friction massage, as well as physiotherapy techniques such as electro-stimulation, ultrasound therapy, and hot/cold application. Acupuncture is used to balance meridians and channels which relaxes the mind, reduces stress, and improves overall energy flow. We pay attention to the full kinetic chain and assess gait and influences that affect gait such as foot pain or other concerns, as well. We discuss home care options, including exercises and nutrition support, to help you improve between visits. Keep your appointments at the chiropractic and acupuncture offices of Dr. Lisa Oskardmay to get the best hip and knee pain care you deserve!
If you are wondering how chiropractic care helps reduce hip and knee pain, contact Acupractic Natural Healing Center today for more information.