Solve Knee Pain by Treating the Root Cause
- Design Thinking Approach
Design thinking encourages us to look at the problem holistically. If you’re experiencing knee pain, the issue might be due to poor hip mobility. A common scenario is that weak hip abductors can cause your knee to collapse inward during activities like running or squatting, leading to pain. By applying design thinking, we focus on understanding these relationships and how one area of the body can affect another.
- Hybrid Cross-Discipline Methods
Conventional exercises don’t always work. Incorporate techniques from classical dance, ballet, and Pilates into your exercise programs to improve flexibility, balance, and control. Exercises inspired by ballet, such as Pliés, are excellent for strengthening the muscles around the hips and thighs, which in turn support knee stability. Similarly, Pilates exercises that focus on core strength and alignment help to distribute forces more evenly through the body, reducing undue stress on the knees. - Advanced Technology
Ultrasound Analytics, Wearable Muscle Analytics, and the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill can provide precise, data-driven treatment. Ultrasound can reveal if there are any structural issues within the knee joint, such as cartilage damage or tendon inflammation, that might not be obvious through physical examination alone. Wearable Muscle Analytics can track whether your quadriceps or hamstrings are engaging correctly during movement, crucial for balanced knee function. The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill allows you to continue exercising with reduced impact.
When experiencing knee pain, the first step is understanding that your knee might not be the actual problem. Design Thinking—a problem-solving approach that involves understanding the relationship between different parts of your body—is crucial here. If a patient’s knee pain is actually caused by hip instability, a design thinking approach would involve assessing hip mobility and strength. If it’s found that the hips are not providing adequate support, exercises to strengthen the hip abductors and external rotators are prescribed, which can relieve the pressure on the knees.
Hybrid Cross-Discipline Methods bring together the precision of classical dance and the control of Pilates to treat knee pain. For instance, incorporating ballet’s emphasis on posture and alignment into a Pilates routine can help correct muscle imbalances. Imagine performing a series of controlled leg lifts (similar to ballet’s grand battement) that not only strengthens the leg muscles but also teaches the body to maintain proper alignment and stability, which directly benefits the knee by reducing stress during movement.
Advanced Technology like Ultrasound Analytics works by visualising soft tissues and identifying underlying structural issues contributing to your pain. Wearable Muscle Analytics tracks muscle activity in real-time. Suppose the data shows that your glutes aren’t firing properly during exercises; this would explain why your knees are taking on too much strain. Corrective exercises can then be tailored to activate and strengthen the glutes, redistributing the workload and relieving the knees. The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill reduces the impact on your joints by allowing you to walk or run with a portion of your body weight removed. This is particularly useful during the early stages of rehabilitation when full-weight-bearing activity might be too painful or risky. Why These Solutions Are So Effective:
- Comprehensive Diagnosis
By understanding the interconnectedness of your body, we identify the true source of your pain, which often lies in the hips or back. Correcting hip misalignment can drastically reduce knee pain because it addresses the root cause of the issue rather than just treating the symptoms.
- Targeted Treatment
Dance-inspired Pilates exercises can strengthen the required muscles that support your knees, improving stability and reducing strain. The controlled movements and focus on alignment typical of Pilates can enhance muscle coordination, ensuring that your knees are supported correctly during all types of movement.
- Data-Driven Recovery
Advanced technology ensures that every aspect of your treatment is based on precise data, leading to faster and more effective recovery. Allows us to make immediate adjustments to your exercise routine, optimising muscle activation and preventing further injury.
Treating the root cause of knee pain can be more complex and time-consuming than simply addressing the symptoms.
That’s why it is important to have a program that:
- Is designed to support you every step of the way
- Is personalised to fit your specific needs
- Focuses on the root cause of your pain
- Leverages the best of cross-discipline techniques and advanced technology
- Is not only effective but sustainable