Look Above and Below With Knee Pain

When dealing with any type of knee problem we need to understand the relationship that the knee has with the other joints in the body, particularly the hip and the foot.  It can be said that the knee is caught between the foot and the hip, and as such the foot, knee, and hip make up what is known as a kinetic chain.  In fact, many of the muscles that act at the knee also cross either the hip or ankle joint. As a result of this relationship, with any knee problem both the foot and hip must always be closely examined as an abnormality in either area will greatly influence problems at the knee.

A common example of how the knee is influenced by the kinetic chain occurs in someone whose foot excessively pronates.  Hyper-pronation of the foot occurs when the foot excessively rolls inward, causing the foot to flatten out when walking and running. This will also cause the lower leg to rotate inwards, which in turn will result in a twisting stress at the knee.  Not only will this result in injury to the knee joint itself, but it will also strain the muscles of the knee, hip, and foot as they have to work even harder in an attempt to control the excessive strain and combat the effects of the hyper-pronation. This will greatly magnify the effects of the repetitive strain cycle, further leading to knee dysfunction and injury.  As you can see, even though pain may be at the knee the entire kinetic chain must be evaluated and treated to fully resolve the condition.

Shaw Chiropractic & Sports Injury Center serves Des Moines, Clive, Waukee, and surrounding communities.  For more information call (515) 987-6332 or visit shawchiroandsport.com

Much Needed Motion In The Thoracic Spine

Your thoracic spine starts just below your neck and continues to the level just above your belly button.  It consists of 12 vertebrae and also articulates with all 12 sets of your ribs.  Although I never want to only focus on a single area of the body, movement here is crucial.

When talking about correcting bad posture, focusing on reversing the posture that you assume for the majority of your day is key.  Think about being hunched over your computer all day.  By putting emphasis on restoring that joint motion will help with the negative effects of prolonged sitting.

Adequate movement in the thoracic spine is essential for overhead athletes (among many other things).  For the shoulder to function properly the position of the thoracic spine is important  The best position is tall and extended, which requires the joints to be mobile to get there.

Here are two exercises to improve thoracic spine mobility.

Level 1- Seated Thoracic Mobilization

While sitting in a chair, place a rolled up towel behind your mid-back.  Pull your left knee toward your chest.  With your hands behind your head, stretch backward by extending at the spine over the towel.  Hold for three seconds and relax.  Repeat 8-10 times.

Level 2- Foam Roll Thoracic Extension

Lie with your upper back across foam roll.  Bride up so only your feet are on the ground.  Gently lean back over the foam roll while you roll the foam roller over a 4-5 inch section of your thoracic spine.  Return to the start position.  Repeat 8-10 times.

Shaw Chiropractic & Sports Injury Center serves Des Moines, Clive, Waukee, and surrounding communities.  For more information call (515) 987-6332 or visit shawchiroandsport.com.

Scapular Stability

The muscles that support the scapulae (shoulder blades) play a big role in neck and upper extremity health and function. Weakness or faulty movement of the scapulae contribute to abnormal stresses to the structures of the shoulder including the rotator cuff, as well as contribute to recruitment of other muscles.  This becomes a compensation pattern that can lead to overuse and pain.

This concept is similar to abdominal stability.  Those that suffer from low back pain or a lower extremity injury may lack sufficient stability through the abdominals which may have been a contributing factor.knees under your hips and hands under your shoulders).  While keeping your elbows straight, lower your chest towards the floor and feel your lower shoulder blades slide together.  Press up and feel your shoulder blades begin to separate.  Press up until your shoulder blades separate as far as possible and your back stays straight and moves up towards the ceiling.  Repeat.  Perform 10 repetitions.  These can be performed twice per day.

The Push-up plus is an exercise to strengthen the muscles that stabilize each scapula and facilitate proper movement.

Begin on all fours (

Fine tune this exercise by maintaining ideal posture.  Keep your chin tucked with your head in line with your spine.  Avoid shrugging your shoulders up towards your ears.  Hold your spine neutral and breathe normally.  If this exercise is difficult it can be modified with less resistance by standing with your palms against the wall.

Shaw Chiropractic & Sports Injury Center serves Des Moines, Clive, Waukee, and surrounding communities.  For more information call (515) 987-6332 or visit shawchiroandsport.com