Knee Pain: Causes and Our Approach

Along with lower back pain, knee pain is one of the most frequent complaints from my clients over the years. The root causes of knee pain are highly varied. The pain can stem from an acute issue, like a ligament sprain, or it can be caused by overuse. In fact, knee pain doesn’t always originate in the knee. There could be issues with the ankle or hip that are manifesting as knee pain.

When clients come in with knee pain, the first thing we do is discuss the history of the issue. From there, I perform a physical exam including a movement analysis and a range of functional tests to determine what’s wrong. My first goal is to determine if the individual needs to see a physician for the issue or if the pain can be treated through rehab as opposed to surgery.

If the knee pain doesn’t require surgery, we can begin working with you right away. During a session, I will typically provide the appropriate soft tissue treatment(s), such as Graston or dry needling, in order to create the optimal environment for the muscles to work at their maximum capacity and improve their overall functioning. It’s common for health care practitioners to focus on improving the strength of muscles around the knee, which you will obtain via exercises performed during in-office sessions as well as with a dynamic, personalized at-home rehab program. However, to eliminate knee pain, it’s also important to improve the neuromuscular control, or the body’s ability to fire the muscles on command, as well as how quickly you can get them to fire, or the rate of force development. This is achieved by doing rehab exercises in specific ways, which we will work on together to ensure proper performance at home.

You don’t have to suffer or tolerate knee pain any longer. Call us for a free consultation and see how we can help!