When Knee Pain Is Not Knee Pain

When most of us think of knee pain, we immediately think of sports injuries to this vulnerable and unprotected joint. But not all knee pain is the result of trauma to the area or ligament injuries from twisting or falling. There are many other reasons for knee pain at the joint itself, such as infection, overuse, age, bursitis, aneurysm, cyst, tumor, etc.

But this isn't meant to scare you. Usually, when the knee joint is the cause of the pain, it will be very obvious to your doctor. Most often, you will remember the trauma (if any) and be able to describe it in detail.

Surprisingly, however, many cases of knee pain have nothing to do with the knee itself.

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The knee is a very mobile joint in the middle of the powerful and important lower limb. This limb has to transmit your body weight to the ground while, at the same time, providing the ability to walk, run, and jump. If there are problems in the muscles or joints near the knee, oftentimes the knee itself is pulled slightly out of alignment or proper function.

Here are some of the possible causes of knee pain that can come from other places in the body:

- radiating pain from nerve root compression, such as in a disc herniation or spinal stenosis, sometimes called a pinched nerve
- referred pain from spinal joint compression, such as in facet syndrome or disc degeneration
- referred pain from trigger points in muscles, such as the hamstrings or quadriceps
- tension in the muscles or tissues near the knee, such as in iliotibial band syndrome or piriformis syndrome
- nerve entrapment near the knee, such as from the fibular or sciatic nerves
- altered biomechanics of walking, such as a flat feet, high heels, old and worn out shoes, bowleggedness, plantar fasciitis, a sprained ankle, etc.

All of these types of conditions (and more) can cause a change in the way the knee works. When the body does not function correctly, it alerts you with pain signals. Rather than simply ignoring the pain or trying to mask the pain, your best bet is to ask a doctor what the cause of your knee pain might be. Once the problem is fixed, the pain will most likely go away.

Ask a chiropractor about your knee pain today.