Health blog Category: knee pain
Is hip pain throwing off your balance?
By: Rachel Herrmann, DPT, PT
The hip joint is one of the most stable joints in the body, but unfortunately that does not keep this joint and region of the body from developing issues and producing pain. There are multiple structures in and around the hip joint that can produce pain in this area of the body:
- Labrum– the ring of cartilage around the rim of the socket of the hip joint.
Knee Pain Keeping You from Starting a Workout Program?
Whether you are pounding the pavement for a short jog or you’re a routine racer, running is great cardiovascular training. It is a gratifying way to maintain overall fitness. Although the act of running itself may initially seem daunting if you’re not an avid runner, you will reap the physical benefits within a few weeks. The key is to start slowly and add distance incrementally to decrease the risk of injury.
Here are the top 10 health benefits of running:
- Improve Longevity: Running 1.5 – 2 hours 20- 30 minutes per week can increase your lifespan by 5-6 years!
Difficulty Walking or Standing Up from a Chair?
By Angie Austin, LPTA
Many people associate knee pain with the older population. However, we treat patients of all ages for knee pain. Whether it’s due to arthritis or an injury, it is important to know what causes that knee pain.
The knee is a large hinge joint that gives you the ability to bend and straighten your knee, which is necessary for day to day functional tasks like getting up from a chair or going up and down stairs.
The IT Band’s role and Preventing IT Band Syndrome
By: Alyssa Burke, PTA
The IT Band is a part of body that is somewhat of a mystery to many. You’ve probably heard of the IT band. But are you confident about where it is or what it does? We’ll answer these questions today. The IT band is the abbreviation for the iliotibial band. This band is an extension of your hip muscles. It is a long band of connective tissue or fascia that runs down the outside of your thigh from your hip to just below your knee.
Trouble Bending to Tie Your Shoes?
By: C. Ashley Border, DPT
Curious about why you can’t touch your toes or why the muscle in the back of your thigh keeps cramping or straining? Let’s direct our attention to the hamstring muscle! So, what in the world is a “hamstring”? This is the muscle that runs from deep in the buttock to the back of the knee. This muscle primarily bends the knee and extends the hip backwards, and is very important with walking and running.
Ever feel like you’ve overstretched a muscle?
A common cause of hip pain that we treat at Loudoun Sports Therapy Clinic is a hamstring injury. The hamstring muscle group is located on the back side of the thigh and is made up of three muscles. These three muscles originate on the hip bone and attach at the knee joint. When these muscles contract, the knee bends into a flexed position. When they relax, the knee is able to straighten back out. The hamstrings work together with the quadriceps muscles to control and stabilize the knee joint.
Read full blogDifficulty kneeling, squatting or using stairs…
The number one complaint from someone experiencing any kind of knee problem is pain under or around the knee cap. Any kind of knee pain or stiffness makes simple daily activities such as walking, going up or down the stairs, squatting, and standing up from a chair, difficult.
This kind of pain can greatly limit our functional mobility. Some people also experience stiffness in and around the knee making it difficult to move the joint.
Why Problems in this Joint Should Be Handled Right Away
By: Alyssa Burke, PTA
Are you feeling weak in the knees, but not in a good way? There are many different factors that can cause people to experience knee pain. We often don’t think about how much we move our knee joints in a day but when we are experiencing knee pain we become more aware of how much we are moving. Some of the common knee problems that people experience are:
- Osteoarthritis
- Tendinitis
- Ligaments sprains and tears
Unfortunately, we cannot control if we will develop osteoarthritis in our lifetime.
Read full blogWhat does the IT band do and how do IT band problems start?
By: Mike Bills, MS PT
What is the IT band and how do problems start here? There are a number of muscles on the outside of your hip that attach to the IT band. The job of all of these muscles is to keep the hip joint structures open, help support the joint and then create the movement of the joint. Most commonly what happens in a patient who is experiencing some level of IT band problems is that the muscles on the outside of the hip that are working to hold the hip together while we move the leg are overworking.
Increased activity putting increased stress on the knee joints…
Have you increased your activity level in the past month? This can create increased stress on our joint and muscles and when we haven’t properly prepared these joints and muscles for that stress, problems can occur. When you start to have knee pain that’s when you really start to notice and appreciate how big of a role your knees play in your day-to-day activities and the things you so for fun. Going up and down stairs becomes a dreaded part of the day.
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