Can Lower Back Pain Cause Knee Pain

How Does Knee Pain Cause Back Pain

Knee pain can alter the way you walk. Walking with limp changes how long you place weight on each leg. This can alter the movement at the hip joints and cause the low back to twist or side bend more with walking activity.

When abnormal movement happens at the knee, the forces are transferred through the hips, pelvis, and lumbar spine or low back. Over time, this can cause excessive wear and tear in the low back and lead to pain.

How The Spine Causes Knee Pain

The nerve roots that transmit the sensation of pain to the legs and feet are located in the lower back. Occasionally with age or injury, the discs between the vertebrae can degenerate or bulge out and press on these nerves.

When this occurs, the nerve becomes irritated and sends out pain signals. The location of the pain depends on which disc is protruding.

The severity of the pain depends on how much of the disc is pressing on the nerve. The nerves that send fibers to the knee are located at the second, third, and fourth lumbar vertebral levels in the lower back area.

If a bulging disc, bone spur, or arthritic joint in the second, third, or fourth lumbar vertebra compresses a nerve, the referred pain will often be felt in the knee.

Referred pain is pain perceived at a location other than where the cause is situated. It is the result of pain signals being sent along the network of interconnecting sensory nerves.

This condition can be diagnosed by your healthcare provider with a thorough history and physical exam. If the nerve that travels to your thigh and knee is irritated or pinched, you may feel a host of symptoms, including:

• Pain in the front of your thigh
• Knee pain
• Numbness or tingling in your thigh
• Weakness in your hip or quadriceps muscles

If you have any of these symptoms, see a healthcare provider. In some cases, the hip may be the culprit, so a careful examination is necessary to find the true cause of your knee pain.

How To Ease Back Pain

Which treatment you and your doctor will decide on will depend on the type of joint problem you have and how serious it is.

For example, if you have rheumatoid arthritis and show signs of joint damage, your doctor may recommend a prescription medication like a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug. You may hear it called a DMARD. DMARDs ease inflammation and help keep your joint damage from getting worse.

Many of the things that can ease back pain caused by other problems can help with joint problems, too. Talk to your doctor about:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications . These medications target inflammation and pain, which is why theyâre often recommended for back problems. You can get many NSAIDs over the counter. You may be able to use them with other types of medication for joint pain.

Exercise. Gentle activities, like water aerobics, tai chi, or yoga, can really help ease low back pain from joint problems. Any movement that doesnât cause more pain is helpful. Talk to your doctor or a physical therapist if youâre not sure where to start or how to exercise safely.

Squashing stress. Stress and anxiety make low back pain worse. But easing stress through talk therapy, mindfulness training, or other methods can ease pain and improve your quality of life. Your doctor can talk over stress-busting techniques with you.

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Your Knee Pain Is Accompanied By Back Pain

Knee pain accompanied by back pain is the easiest symptom to identify which suggests the deeper problem is with the spine. Even if the back pain is mild or simply feels like some tension and tightness, it should not be disregarded because these signs are both related.

Think back if youve experienced mild back and knee discomfort at the same time, especially if you tend to spend your day sitting down. Sitting shortens the height of the discs along your spine and increases the disc bulge by pushing water out. The pressure on these discs is lowered when youre sitting compared to when youre standing. If youre sitting a lot during the day but have knee and back pains, your spine may be the problem.

Your knees and back are connected by the spinal cord through a nerve branch that controls the lower extremities. If your spine has a pinched nerve or a bulging lumbar disc, the lower back where the nerve branch is located can redirect the pain to the knees. For some people, this is the reason why they only notice the discomfort in the knee but not in the back.

If youre experiencing acute or chronic knee pain, make a mental scan of your body for discomfort in other areas — even if it seems completely unrelated. Let your physician know about these other aches so they can make a fully informed diagnosis.

Cant Bend Your Knees Further Than Your Toes

Standing roughly one foot from a wall, toes pointing toward the wall, bend your knee forward, are you able to make your knee touch the wall?

If youre unable to move your knee forward relative to your foot, you could have an issue with linear ankle mobility, or the ability to bend your ankle forward.

A common side effect of this is an inability or difficulty in squatting, walking up or down stairs, walking, and lifting.

Concerned about these symptoms? Book an assessment with a physiotherapist today.

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Swedish massage can be used to help back pain, by improving circulation and easing joint stiffness. Swedish massage uses five styles of strokes to massage: Sliding, kneading, tapping, friction, and vibration

HilotHilot is a traditional healing and massage technique originating in the Philippines that can be employed to relax stressed muscle and joint manipulation to treat muscular-skeletal conditions as a lower back pain therapy.

Trigger point therapyCan be used to help back pain and poor posture, by helping to release muscles in spasm, employing techniques to release knotted muscles, and freeing up circulation in the affected area.

Traditional Chinese massageThere are two types which can provide back pain relief and Tui na which concentrates on pushing, stretching and kneading the muscle, and Zhi Ya which utilises techniques of pinching and pressing at acupressure points. These originate from Traditional Chinese Medicine. Although Tui Na is described as massage in the West, in TCM it is not. In TCM massage is called Anmo, which forms the basis of Japans Anma.

How does Osteopathy workOsteopathy employs manual therapies for the treatment of many neuromusculoskeletal pain syndromes, such as lower back pain and tension headache, alongside exercise and other rehabilitative techniques. An osteopath will utilise a range of gentle hands-on techniques such as soft tissue stretching, deep tactile pressure, and joint mobilisation or manipulation.

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How acupuncture worksBroadly, acupuncture involves stimulation of points along these energy flows through a range of techniques. Stimulation is typically performed using very fine needles that create gentle sensations. Each of these needles are inserted into specific points along these energy pathways or meridians.

Can acupuncture help my back PainAcupuncture is considered useful in treating such conditions as lower back pain, sciatica, stiffness, and strains. In traditional acupuncture theory, pain arises due to blocked energy along energy pathways or meridians of the body, which are cleared when acupuncture needles are inserted. In modern medicine, scientific reasons have been put forward for the apparent benefits that acupuncture provides for the sufferers of lower back pain. One observation is that acupuncture stimulation causes the releases neurochemicals and hormones, regarded as producing signals that soothe the sympathetic nervous system and release natural opioids which provide back pain relief.Can Knee Pain Cause Back Pain

Can Alexander Technique help my back painBy becoming more aware of how the body works and learning how to undo bad body practices, those suffering with long term or chronic back pain are able to soothe and ease their symptoms. Pupils of Alexander technique can learn how to pupils how to liberate needless muscle tension and, freer means of movement which impose less strain and therefore back pain relief.

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What Are The Symptoms Of A Posterior Knee Injury

Symptoms can include any of the following: Pain and swelling at the back, and outside of your knee. Knee joint instability. Pain at the back of the knee may occur gradually. You are unlikely to be able to pinpoint the exact time your injury occurred. These injuries often start out as a niggle which you will attempt to ignore.

Common Causes Of Leg And Back Pain

A change in the way you walk can have a profound impact on your feet, ankles, knees and lower back. When your gait is off-balance due to an injury or arthritis, the mechanics of your movements and the position of your bones and muscles lead to lower leg pain. That in turn causes your knee tendons to respond to the shifting weight, which then pulls on your upper legs and lower back.

Other conditions that tie your knees and your back pain together include:

• Herniated discs that pinch a nerve in your back thats connected to your leg
• Muscle strain thats often mistaken for a herniated disc, radiating pain from your knees to your back and vice versa
• Sciatica, which refers to pressure put on the sciatic nerve that runs from your lower back down through your legs, causing shooting pains behind one knee
• Bone spurs that develop on your lower spine, leading to nerve impingements
• Osteoarthritis in the knees, the leading contributor to disability in the United States, which causes lower back pain symptoms

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How Can The Low Back Cause Hip Or Knee Pain

Muscles in the hip and low backThe low back or lumbar spine houses the nerves that supply the legs. Problems in the low back can cause pain to radiate to the hip and knee regions. The pain may vary depending upon the position of the low back.

If there is lower back pain, the muscles around the spine may have spasms. Muscle spasms in the low back can cause the pelvis to elevate on one side. When the pelvis is not level, it changes the direction of the force on other parts of the body. This can lead to abnormal stress on the hip and/or knee.

Weakness in the core muscles of the abdomen and lower back can cause excessive movement in the spine with walking or daily activity. Overtime, this can translate to extra stress on the hip and knee which can eventually result in pain in the hip and knee.

If you would like to learn more about the Anatomy of the Spine, this VIDEO may help.

Iliac Crest Apophysis Avulsion

Avulsion fractures of the apophyses of the pelvis are rare injuries. This injury occurs mainly in young persons, between the ages of 8 and 14, before they’ve fully grown. That is because fusion of these bones does not occur until between the ages of 15 and 17 years. The cause is typically a contraction of muscles during extreme sports activity. Treatment includes rest and physical therapy as well as pain medications.

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The Link Between Your Back And Knee Pain

Every part of your body has a special and unique function, but each part relies on others for optimal performance.

When your body is functioning well, you feel invincible. When you are falling short due to an injury or illness, its hard to function. The same is true with many interacting body parts. One connection, in particular, is when back pain causes knee pain. Even though the back and knee arent directly connected, there is a very real link that can help explain why when your back hurts, your knees may hurt, too.

Treatment For Back And Knee Pain In Kansas City Missouri

If you are experiencing back or knee pain, the experts at Advanced Bone & Joint can help. We can alleviate your pain and restore good bodily functions through advanced pain management methods and customized rehabilitation techniques. We also offer orthopedic urgent care to patients who suffer injuries that need immediate care.

To make an appointment, call at 229-4222 or fill out our appointment request form.

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Best Treatments For Your Knees And Your Back

Treatment for knee and back pain depends on the origination of your disease or injury. At SSI, the first line of defense following a firm diagnosis is conservative treatments, such as:

• I.C.E, which stands for: rest, ice, compression and elevation each of these four techniques relieves both your knee pain and your lower back pain
• Over-the-counter pain relievers, which combat inflammation no matter where the pain originates
• Physical therapy to correct your gait or strengthen supporting muscles
• Corticosteroid injections in your knee to relieve the pain in your lower back too
• Lifestyle changes, such as weight loss and wearing appropriate shoes, for taking pressure off your knees while relieving lower back pain

More serious conditions may require minimally invasive interventions, such as:

• Nerve blocks, typically reserved for pain that originates in your spinal column
• Stem cell therapy to heal damaged discs that are causing radiating leg pain
• Trigger point injections, delivered directly to the body part thats causing your pain
• Surgery, an option thats reserved for when other methods of treatment dont result in lasting pain relief

Chill It Lower Back Pain And Knee Weakness

Ice is best in the first 24 to 2 days after an injury because it minimizes inflammation. Despite the fact that the heat really feels good since it assists cover up the pain and it does aid kick back the muscular tissues, the warmth really irritates the inflammatory procedures. After two days, you can change to warm if you like. Whether you utilize heat or ice take it off after around 20 mins to provide your skin a rest. If pain continues, talk with a medical professional.

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How Can Knee Injuries Affecting The Back Cause Back Pain

The kinetic chain theory, or link theory, is studied by many researchers and movement specialists throughout the country. We can use this theory to try to explain how an injury to one part of the body can lead to injury or dysfunction in another part of the body unrelated to the initial injury.

In this articles example, impairments in knee strength, stability, or flexibility can predispose the back to injury due to the chain reaction of forces traveling through the feet, to the ankles, up to the knees, through the hips, and into the spine when walking, running, jumping, or even standing.

An easy way to picture this is by imagining how you walk when you have pain in the knee.

This walking pattern is most likely not your normal walking pattern, which means the other joints in your body are not used to this abnormal movement which causes them to compensate for their movements, changing the demands placed on the muscles and soft tissue structures around that joint.

The joints in our lower limb work together to transfer forces between the limb segments during motion. If there is a hitch in any of these mechanisms it not only affects the lower limb but also affects the joints above and below it.

Based on what we know about the kinetic chain theory, abnormalities in the lower limb may cause additional forces to be transmitted up the chain to the spine. A few examples of abnormalities in the knee that can affect the spine include:

• Muscle imbalance

For Your Convenience We’ve Divided These Causes Into Five Categories As Follows

• Low risk: This can be easily managed with over-the-counter medications or by avoiding the movement/stressor causing your pain.
• Low-medium risk: Usually managed as an outpatient by your doctor with prescription medication.
• Medium risk: May require a visit to your doctor or hospitalization. Prescription medication may be necessary.
• Medium-high risk: Hospitalization or urgent intervention. Although not life-threatening get help immediately of some kind.
• High risk: Serious and potentially lethal complications possible emergent intervention needed Intensive Care Unit care often needed.

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How Can I Know If I Have Sciatica

Sciatica is linked to certain conditions including pregnancy, osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, and herniated or bulging discs. Doctors who suspect their patients have sciatica may ask their patients to perform some exercises or undergo x-rays and similar tests.

Physicians will also ask questions several questions including:

• Where do you feel discomfort?
• What is the pain like?
• How often are you uncomfortable?
• How long does the pain last?
• What triggers the discomfort and what helps it go away?
• Do you sit for a long period of time?
• Do you do any lifting or strenuous physical activities for your job?
• Do you have an active lifestyle?

You Experience Knee Pain Accompanied By Back Pain

If youre experiencing knee pain either as a one-off occurrence or an ongoing problem, take the time to think about whether youre experiencing pain anywhere else in your body. Even if the two seem unrelated, its worth noting the pain and discussing it with your spinal specialist.

Back pain causing knee pain is more common in people who sit a lot, so if you work a desk job or spend a lot of time in your car or on planes, its worth investigating. Remember, the back pain may not seem as severe as the knee pain it may even just feel like tight muscles.

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