chiropractic care after having a baby

Do you suffer from chronic knee pain? The knees have to bear much of the burden in your daily movement, so it's not uncommon for them to be stressed from time to time. If your pain is chronic, you could have damaged ligaments or tissue or even bone problems. An MRI can likely reveal the cause of the problem. While some doctors may recommend surgery, that may not be a path that you want to go down. Knee surgeries can be complex and the recovery time can be lengthy. Before committing to surgery, you might want to try alternative methods. Here are four possible knee pain treatments that don't involve surgery:

The RICE method. The RICE method is commonly prescribed for many types of joint pain. It's an acronym that stands for: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Try icing your knee on a regular basis and then elevating it to reduce swelling. Also, purchase a brace or wrap to keep the knee as compressed as possible.

For the rest portion, you definitely want to reduce pressure on the knee, but you may not want to be completely sedentary. Instead, try going for active rest. That may mean that instead of going for a run, which would place severe pressure on the knee, you go for a swim or even a bike ride, in which your knee won't be under as much stress. You want to reduce knee pressure, but you also may need some exercise to rebuild ligaments and tissue.

Physical therapy. Movement can often be helpful in reducing knee pain because movement stimulates collagen production, which helps your tissue and ligaments recover faster. However, you'll likely want any movement to be in a controlled setting so it doesn't further aggravate your pain. That's the primary goal of physical therapy. A physical therapist can put your knee through a series of range-of-motion exercises to increase flexibility and promote new tissue and ligament growth. You'll likely need multiple sessions with the therapist, but over time you should see substantial results. 

Chiropractic care. If your pain lies in the bone and joints instead of the tendons and ligaments, then chiropractic care could be a good solution. A chiropractor can realign your knee joint so it operates properly. He or she can also adjust your spine to restore balance and alignment to all of your joints. The chiropractor may also combine realignment with physical therapy exercise to further improve knee health. For more information, contact a chiropractor in your area, such as Ladner Chiropractic. They can evaluate your knee and recommend a course of treatment.