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Knee Pain Treatment in Harford County, MD

The knee joint is a junction of three bones. The femur and the tibia meet to form a hinge joint. In front of them is the patella (kneecap). The patella sits over the other bones and slides when the leg moves.

The ends of the three bones are covered with articular cartilage. This is a tough elastic material that basically cushions the joint. Also helping to cushion the knee are two C-shaped pads of cartilage called menisci. They lie between the tibia and the femur. There is a lateral meniscus and a medial meniscus.

Ligaments help to stabilize the knee. These are strong elastic bands of tissue that connect one bone to another. The four main stabilizing ligaments of the knee are the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), and lateral collateral ligament (LCL).

There are two basic groups of muscles at the knee. In the front of the knee are the quadriceps muscles that work to straighten the leg out. In the back of the knee are the hamstring muscles which help to flex the knee.

HEATHER, 13

My daughter started falling up the stairs at school and having severe knee pain for no apparent reason. I took her to the orthopedic surgeon who told me she had "sliding knee caps" and recommended physical therapy. With working full-time and taking care of three children I wasn't sure how I was going to fit this into my schedule. I noticed Dr. Lee's office as I brought my other daughter to an eye appointment and called. To my surprise Dr. Lee answered the phone himself. He gave me an appointment the very next week at a convenient time. Since then we have had a wonderful experience. Dr. Lee did a thorough exam and walked us through his entire treatment plan. Every appointment was made at a time convenient to my schedule. Heather has made wonderful progress and is now pain-free. Dr. Lee was always available for questions and kept me well informed of her progress. I have and will continue to recommend him to my family, friends, and co-workers.

Anatomy of the Knee

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is important for knee stabilization. This is located deep inside the knee joint.

The ACL helps control how far the tibia can move in relationship to the femur. Injuries to the ACL are very common and most of the time are sports related.

The sports requiring the foot to be planted and the body to change directions rapidly, such as basketball, are associated with a higher incidence of injury.

Usually injury will occur to the ACL with a sudden hyperextension or rotational force. Depending on the activity or sport the mechanism may differ somewhat.

Soccer, skiing and football are also three common sports where ACL injuries occur. Often the injured athlete will feel a “pop” in the knee and have sudden pain.

The athlete may or may not fall to the ground. Skiers will usually fall. However, a soccer player or basketball player in mid-stride stopping suddenly and pivoting can suffer an ACL tear and still often be able to walk.

Besides the pop, the knee often swells after an ACL injury.

It is not uncommon for multiple knee structures to be hurt in an injury. An ACL, MCL and lateral meniscal injury is a common “triad.”

In addition to injuries, common causes of knee pain include wear and tear that mostly affects the knee cap and/or meniscus (cushy pads between the bones).

No matter the cause, to fully overcome your knee pain; make the trusted professionals at Susquehanna Spine & Rehab part of your treatment plan.

MY STORY

AMY, 31

I came to Dr. Lee with several aches and pains including pain in my knee, elbow, wrist, ankle, and back. I was nervous about receiving chiropractic treatment but Dr. Lee eased my concerns by thoroughly making sure that I was a safe candidate for adjustments. He took x-rays and explained to me why I'm having these aches and pains - some pain was due to overuse/misuse; some because I'm a mother of two small children. After regular adjustments and Physical Therapy, my knee pain is gone, my elbow pain is gone, my ankle and wrist are improving AND I'm reducing the migraines I used to get too! Overall I'm in much better health.