Knee Problems IN Ottawa ON

Knee pain in Ottawa ON has many causes. From a mild sprain or strain to a meniscus or ligament tear, knowing the precise problem is key to fixing the knee pain. For example, if you heard a loud pop and felt a sharp pain, you could have torn your ACL. If you have chronic knee pain and crunching sounds in your knees, you could have osteoarthritis. Both these issues cause knee pain and have different symptoms, treatments and outcomes.

Understanding the cause of knee pain is the first step in knowing how to treat it and prevent knee pain from coming back.

Causes of Knee Pain in Ottawa ON

Many sports like running, basketball, skiing and soccer can lead to knee injuries and chronic knee pain. Running is responsible for many overuse knee injuries, while sports like soccer and skiing involving lots of quick pivots and stops are most responsible for tearing the ACL.

If you are overweight, even losing even 5 pounds can help with knee pain. Each extra pound of weight on your body adds four pounds of pressure to the kneecap when walking and 20 extra pounds when climbing stairs. Ask us about our weight loss solutions.

Knee pain can be caused by foot problems. For example, the way we land on our feet can influence the torque and pressure on our knees. People with flat feet or high arches are more susceptible to rolling inward (overpronation) or outward (supination), both increasing the likelihood of instability and associated knee problems.

Osteoarthritis is a common condition that occurs when the protective cartilage in joints begins to wear down, exposing the bone to greater friction and pressure. Culprits usually include genetics, previous knee injuries, being overweight and simply getting older.

Patellofemoral syndrome occurs when the kneecap (the patella) is out of alignment with the femur, causing inflammation of the patellar tendon. Runners, cyclists and skiers are likely candidates, especially weekend warriors. To minimize discomfort, experts recommend strengthening the quadriceps and hamstrings (muscles that support proper alignment) and avoiding the same daily activity.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is particularly common in women. The natural angle of a woman’s hip to her knee can put her at a higher risk of knee injury. Mix that with tight IT bands or comparatively weaker thigh muscles, and the patella (kneecap) may get pulled slightly off course, creating patellar pain.

Women have more knee pain than men. In fact, active women are twice as likely as men to suffer a knee injury. A woman's biomechanics increase the odds of knee injury. The wider pelvis of a woman naturally guides the femur (thigh bone) into the knee at an angle, increasing pressure on the knee. Women can protect their knees by strengthening quadriceps and hamstring muscles, maintaining a healthy weight and wearing stable, supportive shoes.

Runner's Knee is a type of overuse injury used to describe a number of actual conditions. The clinical diagnoses for runner’s knee may include patellofemoral pain syndrome, iliotibial (IT) band bursitis and/or patellar tendinitis. Depending on the location of the injury, people may feel pain in the center or top of the kneecap (patellofemoral pain syndrome), on the outside of the knee (IT band bursitis) or when pressing on the patellar tendon (patellar tendinitis).

The pain of runner’s knee can occur during exercise, but often happens later, and is felt when the person climbs stairs or stands after a long period of sitting.

Understanding the cause of knee pain is the first step in knowing how to treat it and prevent knee pain from coming back.

Need more information?

Many symptoms can be helped with preventative care like acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, physio and laser therapy. We strongly recommend anyone experiencing the symptoms discussed on this page, see one of our health professionals soon.