I love to walk, but am not the biggest fan of stairs, especially downhill stairs as they can be hard on my knees.
My fiancé (yes, we got engaged!) and I recently traveled to Positano Italy, a city known for its intense hills and steep flights of stairs. We hiked along the Amalfi coast on the Path of the Gods, which ends either at a bus stop or a trail down to Positano. It was a beautiful hike and we foolishly thought it would be a good idea to walk to town as opposed to waiting for a bus.
We did not realize at the time what havoc the downhill stairs would wreck on our aging knees.
To say I could barely walk at the end of the downward descent would be an understatement.
But whenever I am challenged with a new physical or emotional ailment, I see it as an opportunity to learn and heal.
So I started playing.
Hoping to increase fluid flow and circulation to the knee, in the hope of accelerating healing, I generously applied lymph to the back of my knees and fascia to the front.
I knew that the back of the knee plays host to lymph nodes known as popliteal fossa that filter fluids from the leg and foot. The popliteal fossa is a diamond-shaped structure of 2–9 popliteal lymph nodes that lie behind your knee joint. When lymph is congested, these nodes can become swollen, contributing to knee pain and inflammation.
I also knew that fascial adhesions – where the thin layer of connective tissue that wraps around your tendons, ligaments, cartilage, muscles, and bones can become “glued” to the surrounding tissue rather than moving – could contribute to tight muscles and stiffness, limiting your mobility and causing pain.
I decided to experiment with a Positano Protocol addressing lymph stagnation on the back of the knee and fascia adhesions on the front and sides of the knee which elicited immediate relief.
Lymph Nodes in the Knee
Your lymphatic system collects and filters fluid from your body and returns it to your bloodstream, helping to manage and alleviate fluid buildup between cells that can contribute to pain and inflammation.
In order to efficiently move lymph throughout the body, clusters of lymph nodes are located in key joints – like your knees, groin, neck, and armpits – where they connect to a network of lymph vessels, where they receive and filter fluids from different body parts.
The popliteal lymph nodes – or deep lymph nodes within the popliteal fossa of the knee – are embedded in the fat contained in the ‘knee pit’. These popliteal nodes filter and drain fluid from both superficial lymphatic vessels and deep structures within the leg and foot, including the knee and the inguinal lymph nodes.
The flow of lymph from the legs towards the heart is the result of the calf pump– during walking the calf muscle contracts, squeezing lymph out of the leg via the lymphatic vessels. When the muscle relaxes, valves in the vessels shut preventing the fluid from returning to the lower extremities.
Popliteal lymph nodes also lie in close proximity to the nerves and major vessels and are enveloped by fatty tissue, which lies deep to the deep fascia.
Fascia Surrounding the Knee
Knee injuries are often caused by aggravated tightness and weakness in the muscles and tendons that connect to the knees, which can be correlated with fascial adhesions.
Your fascia wraps around all of your tendons, ligaments, cartilage, muscles, and bones of the knee, holding them together. When you experience knee pain, the fascia constricts and becomes “glued” to the surrounding tissue rather than moving freely around the knee tissue. These fascial adhesions are responsible for much of the stiffness and discomfort related to knee pain.
Although fascia looks like one sheet of tissue, it’s actually made up of multiple layers with liquid in between called hyaluronan which are designed to stretch as you move. When your fascia dries up and becomes sticky, it can thicken and tighten around muscles, contributing to limited mobility and knee pain. Research on Fascial Manipulation® for persistent knee pain following ACL and meniscus repair found that “fascial tension may result in pain and loss of mobility.”
To make matters worse, knee injuries are typically immobilized, which may cause soft tissue in and around the joint to atrophy — meaning that tissue mass is lost as is the overall strength of the joint. Also, immobilization creates tension in the knee from a simple lack of use. Lack of circulation and motion sometimes causes the fascia to “adhere” to the joint’s ligaments and bones — causing further complications in the way of stiffness, discomfort, and lack of flexibility.
Tight or constricted muscles are unable to perform a full contraction of the muscle fibers since the fibers are shortened by tightness, which can impact the knee and knee stability. Several muscles from the low inner thigh, hamstring, and calf connect at the knee. Tight or constricted fascia around any of these muscles can contribute to knee pain.
For example, the plantar fascia, located on the bottom of your foot, stretches from your heel bone to your toes. This thick band of fascia supports your medial arch gives shape to the bottom of your foot and contributes to knee health. When you walk, the plantar fascia is gently stretched as you take a step and your toes are about to leave the ground. This stretching of the fascia stores energy, and that energy is released as your foot comes up while stepping. This energy literally puts a spring in your step and allows your foot to be more efficient while walking. The storage and release of energy in the plantar fascia while stepping is known as the windlass mechanism.
Your iliotibial band is also a large piece of fascia that courses along the length of your outer thigh. It arises from a muscle near your hip called the tensor fascia lata (TFL), and it attaches just below your knee. When you walk, your iliotibial band gets pulled a little, storing a bit of energy that resists rotational forces in your knee. Like the windlass mechanism in your foot, this energy is released as you step, making activities like walking and running more efficient, according to. A.
Knee Pain Symptoms
Knee pain and/or stiffness can result from overuse, restrictions or misalignments in the body that cause excess tension and stress on the knee joint and present as symptoms like:
- Pain
- Stiffness
- Limited range of motion
- Tenderness to touch
- Swelling behind the knee
- Weakness or instability
- Popping or crunching noises
- Inability to fully straighten the knee
- A reduced range of motion
- Increased knee cartilage pain when going up or down stairs
Essential Oils for Knee Pain
Topically applied essential oils may help loosen facial adhesions, increase circulation, and enhance lymphatic flow in the tissue surrounding your knees and hips. Enhancing blood flow to the knee accelerates healing as nutrient-rich blood is reintroduced into the area.
Essential oils can essentially “melt” through the tissue, increasing circulation to the area, which means more oxygen to the tissues. By improving the circulation of synovial fluid and lubrication of the areas around your knee joint, it revitalizes the tissue and protects it from degeneration due to excessive pressure, friction, and insufficient lubrication.
For example, the essential oils in our Fascia Release™ blend are uniquely formulated to simultaneously work on physical and psychological levels, working quickly to break down inflamed, fibrous tissue, removing toxins while unraveling deeply held tensions, constrictions, and energetic blockages in your tissues to reduce pain, improve blood and lymphatic circulation and release fear, repressed emotions, and tension held in the body (organs, muscles, tendons, bones and joints) or the mind.
Penetrating essential oils work synergistically to create warmth and break up congestion while relaxing tissues and releasing constriction and congestion. This helps support lymph drainage by helping to stimulate the lymphatic system, release adhesions and fascial restriction, increase circulation, and decrease swelling in the tissue. By supporting the fluid dynamics of the lymphatic and fascia system, this blend may help ease a congested lymphatic system and decrease swelling.
As you know, lymph and fascia lie just below the skin so topically applying essential oils onto the skin allows for easy and immediate access to the fascia and lymph. The skin is your largest organ and is relatively permeable to fat-soluble substances like essential oils.
Essential oils soften the myofascial tissue, allowing the deep and constrained tissue to stretch and move as it is designed to function. They also have an analgesic effect, relaxing the muscles and reducing pain.
Lymph™
The oils in Lymph™ may help move fluid out from behind the knee to reduce inflammation and swelling which can contribute to immobility and pain.
When lymphatic fluid gets congested, cellular waste lingers in the tissues behind the knee cap triggering inflammation and causing pain. Here’s what’s going on: Tissues can become inflamed and painful when circulation slows and inflammation builds. In other words, poor fluid flow or stagnation will present as pain. It’s interesting to note that when you are injured, fluids build up in the damaged area, which is why throbbing and pain occur.
Fluid flow becomes compromised with the occurrence of trauma (physical or emotional). This causes the tissues to contract, twist, and compress which obstructs fluid flow. When blood and lymphatics flow freely, the tissue can perform its physiologic functions without impedance.
According to research, your lymphatic vasculature plays a crucial role in regulating the inflammatory response by influencing the drainage of cellular fluid and inflammatory mediators.
Research demonstrates that when you break up lymph congestion, flush excess fluid from within tissues and allow cells to release toxins, “significant improvements were found in lowering pain intensity
To enhance lymphatic flow and drainage, generously apply Lymph™ on the hip crease and back of the knee to help increase lymphatic drainage and circulation. Enhancing blood flow to the knee accelerates healing as nutrient-rich blood is reintroduced into the area.
After applying Lymph™, you can gently pump the back of your knee in a rolling, upward motion (making a “J” shape). Repeat 10 to 15 times. Place one hand on your shin and the other hand on the back of your lower leg, just below your knee. Gently stretch the skin towards your upper leg and release.
Use the flats of your hands instead of your fingertips to allow more contact with the skin to stimulate the lymph vessels. Apply a light pressure – just enough pressure to gently stretch the skin as far as it naturally goes and then release the pressure and let your skin come back as it was. If you can feel your muscles underneath your fingers, then you are pressing too hard.
READ THIS NEXT: Alleviate Pain and Inflammation with Lymph Support
Fascia Release™
Fascial tension may result in pain and loss of mobility in and around the knee. Your fascia surrounds the tissues in your body, encasing nerves, muscles, tendons, joints, and bones.
Fascia can help with functional movement by reducing friction between structures. Fascial compartments may also become tight and not allow for normal movement of blood into and out of the compartment.
The collagen that makes up fascia is organized in a wavy pattern. When pulled, these lines of tissue resist tensile and shear loads, helping to keep your body parts together. Thick bands of fascia around your knee can store energy when stretched. This energy is then used to improve efficiency when moving. When constricted, this fascia may impede movement.
Fascia Release™ may help release adhesions and fascial restriction, increase circulation, and decrease swelling in the tissue around the knee.
As you may know, fascia lies just below the skin, so topically applying essential oils onto the skin allows for easy and immediate access to the fascia. The skin is your largest organ and is relatively permeable to fat-soluble substances like essential oils.
Topical supplements play an important role in supporting fascia health and recovery from inflammation. For example, essential oils easily penetrate layers of restricted fascia, creating warmth to break up congestion, increasing circulation, lymphatic drainage, and mobilizing adhered tissue.
Essential oils soften the myofascial tissue, allowing the deep and constrained tissue to stretch and move as it is designed to function. They also have an analgesic effect, relaxing the muscles and reducing pain.
Essential oils can be used to revitalize and de-stress the fascia and muscles, working quickly to break down inflamed, fibrous tissue, and remove toxins from the painful area.
Essential oils help with collagen production by reducing free-radical damage. The antioxidant properties of essential oils may also promote collagen growth by both reducing free radicals and increasing collagen cell growth and formation.
Essential oils with detoxing properties help reduce inflammation that may weaken collagen fibers.
The essential oils in the Fascia Release™ blend are uniquely formulated to unravel deeply held tensions, constrictions, and energetic blockages in your tissues to reduce pain, improve blood and lymphatic circulation, and release fear, repressed emotions, and tension held in the body (organs, muscles, tendons, bones, and joints) or the mind.
Circulation™
Circulation™ inspires increased circulation to the knee. Enhancing blood flow to the knee accelerates healing as nutrient-rich blood is reintroduced into the area.
Circulation™ blend, in combination with manual movement of blood and lymph in the extremities, may help increase fluid circulation, reduce swelling, and promote lymph angiogenesis, or the creation of new lymphatic vessels to increase flow capacity.
Essential oils, like Circulation™, can help improve circulation by relaxing the blood vessels and improving the health of the blood vessels. This helps more blood circulate through them, improving circulation in the process. Essential oils can also be used to help the veins contract, stimulating blood flow.
Apply 2- 3 drops of Circulation™ on the sides of the knee may help support circulation. Circulation™ works especially well in combination with Lymph™ to help flush out toxins and reduce inflammation of the blood vessels, which further improves blood flow throughout the body.
READ MORE ABOUT: Circulation
