Osteopathy Treatment for Hip, Knee and Ankle Pain

There are several possible causes of hip pain, including:

• Osteoarthritis: this is a degenerative condition that causes the cartilage in the hip joint to initially wear away and then remodel in a 'disorganised' fashion leading to pain and stiffness.
• Rheumatoid arthritis: a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the joints, including the hips, leading to pain and stiffness.
• Bursitis: inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs (bursae) that act as cushions around the hip joint, this can cause pain and tenderness.
• Tendonitis: inflammation of the tendons that attach muscle to bone, which can cause pain and stiffness in the hip.
• Sciatica: a condition where the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back to the foot, becomes compressed or irritated, leading to pain in the hip and leg.

There are many potential causes of knee pain, including:

• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Bursitis: inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs that cushion around the knee joint 
• Tendonitis: inflammation of the tendons that attach the muscles to the knee joint
• Meniscus tear: a tear in the cartilage that cushions the knee joint
• Overuse or injury from physical activity
• Poor alignment or biomechanics of the knee joint
• Ligament or cartilage injury
• Runner's knee: a dull, aching pain in the front of your knee, which can be aggravated by walking up or down stairs, kneeling or squatting, or sitting with a bent knee for long periods of time.
• Iliotibial (IT) band syndrome – pain on outside of knee, tender IT band.

Injury to any of the ankle bones, ligaments or tendons and several types of arthritis can cause ankle pain. Common causes of ankle pain include:

• Achilles tendonitis: an overuse injury of the Achilles tendon, the tissue that connects calf muscles to your heel bone
• Plantar fasciitis: inflammation of a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of each foot and connects the heel bone to the toes (plantar fascia).
• Sprained ankle: an injury that occurs when you roll, twist or turn your ankle in an awkward way. This can stretch or tear the tough bands of tissue (ligaments) that help hold your ankle bones together. Prone to recurrence.