| I had an email last week from a relatively new runner | | | | and neck pain! |
| asking who they should see for their knee pain. I | | | | How? Your feet affect your postural control. Postural |
| asked if they twisted, fell, or jammed their knee or if | | | | control is the ability to maintain the body's center of |
| it was just a wear and tear injury? They confided | | | | mass over the supportive foot, a.k.a. being able to |
| that as they increased their mileage and distance, | | | | keep your balance. Often, balance or proprioception is |
| their knee pain started to increase. New shoes | | | | lost in patients with chronic foot and ankle instability |
| helped, but didn't fix their nagging pain. Sounds like a | | | | from an underlying congenital foot type. This leads to |
| biomechanical problem to me! But it could still be a | | | | lack of postural control which leads to knee, hip and |
| traumatic injury they can't remember...especially if | | | | back pain a.k.a. postural symptoms. Many studies |
| they were out dancing on tables on a Friday night ... | | | | have concluded that a functional orthotic reduces |
| Just kidding! | | | | postural sway and improves stability, therefore |
| Seriously, mechanically induced knee pain is extremely | | | | reduces further injury in patients with congenital or |
| common in runners. A good analogy is that if you | | | | acquired foot and ankle instability. |
| need a tire realignment on your car, the struts can | | | | How is biomechanical knee pain treated? A complete |
| wear out. In fact, you may have no acute foot and | | | | biomechancial exam can help to assess how to realign |
| ankle problems at all and they can still be the cause | | | | your feet and lower extremities. Functional orthotics |
| of your symptoms. | | | | can be made to precisely fix your foot deformities |
| The best way to assess a runner's knee problem is | | | | and functional abnormalities. |
| to start with a sports medicine orthopedist who can | | | | Bottom line, if your knee pain is chronic and you have |
| rule-out a primary knee problem, like a tear in the | | | | ruled out a primary knee problem, look to your |
| meniscus (cartilage), ligaments or tendons. If a | | | | support structures known as your feet. |
| primary knee problem is ruled-out, but you just keep | | | | Pain slowing down your run? Dr Marybeth Crane is a |
| having this nagging pain; or if your tendonitis keeps | | | | board certified foot and ankle surgeon and a veteran |
| recurring in spite of being compliant with physical | | | | marathon running podiatrist. For a copy of her FREE |
| therapy and rest; it's time to look elsewhere for the | | | | BOOK or more information on running injuries, she |
| cause. | | | | can be reached at her website or peruse her musing |
| Your feet affect the function of all their contiguous | | | | on her blog! She also offer doctor-approved foot |
| structures or in English, everything they are | | | | care products for your health! |
| connected to. Yes, your feet can even cause back | | | | |