Extremity Pain: Knees/Feet/Ankles

Activator Technique (see Treatment Method below) includes testing and adjustment for all joints of the body from the feet to the head.

We have great success with sports injuries including foot and ankle sprains, either acute or chronic. The Activator Instrument allows graduated force for acute injuries with swelling and can accelerate healing by restoring normal joint motion early in the healing phase. 

If an orthotic (foot arch support) is needed to maintain a correction we can fit and dispense orthotics that are effective and affordable. If needed we can refer to a podiatrist for special needs.

Many of us have had sprained ankles in our history which may pre-dispose to recurrent subluxations of the ankle bones. Subluxations are those joints that are functionally impaired and are producing a neuromuscular abnormality that prevents normal pain-free motion. In addition to bony components (“bone out of place”) there are generally muscular components like muscle weakness or muscle hypertonicity (“tight muscle”). In the case of the ankle/foot we often see tight calf muscles or hamstring muscles that need to be released and exercised. Chronic muscle tightness often responds to supplemental magnesium since magnesium is often deficient in the diet. Simple exercises to stretch the calf are often helpful.

Plantar fasciitis is a difficult condition that plaques many people and prevents them from exercising as they’d like. In many cases adjustment of the foot and ankle along with exercises to stretch the calf muscles can provide relief. In some cases taping the plantar surface can relieve pressure and reduce pain. Ice baths can many times provide short term pain relief. An orthotic is usually essential for long term relief.

Knee pain often responds to adjustment when caught in the early stages before serious ligament damage occurs. Poor posture and biomechanical “faults” which cause imbalanced weight bearing often contribute to extremity problems, particularly knee pain. Deterioration of the knee joint (and all other joints in the body) may relate to the diet in this way: heavy consumption of Omega 6 fatty acids over a lifetime can predispose to “arthritic” conditions all over the body. See Nutrition section of this website for a more in-depth discussion of this widespread and critically important condition.

Knee pain most often occurs on the inside of the joint and shows up, for example on an MRI, as a torn medial meniscus, reduced joint space and sometimes spurs or loose bodies. In my 35 years of clinical experience I have noted that knee problems (as well as hip problems) most often occur on the chronic long leg side. This is a phenomenon where the pelvis is dropped on one side producing an apparent shorter leg on the drop side and a longer leg on the high side. The long leg side comes down sooner and produces more stress and vibration and results, in my clinical judgement, in the deterioration that is so often seen in the knee and hip of the long leg side.

In some cases, perhaps 5%, pelvic unleveling/pelvic drop is the result of subluxation of the knee. Correction of the knee reduces or resolves the leg length discrepancy. Anyone with knee problems needs to be evaluated for subluxations in the lower extremities as well as the spine. The body needs symmetry and balance throughout and deviations and imbalances result in uneven wear and tear. Get those subluxations adjusted!

Treatment Method

Chiropractic subluxations are corrected utilizing Activator Methods Chiropractic Technique®. Dr. Floyd Miñana is Advanced Proficiency Certified in Activator Technique. Activator utilizes an precision instrument to move the bony segment (“the adjustment”) and has numerous research studies proving its efficacy. The Activator instrument lends itself well to adjustment of the lower extremities since it is very specific and does not require manual thrust.

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