Knee Pain

Relieve Your Knee Pain at Full Potential PT!

Knee injuries and knee pain are common and occur in two main categories of onset. Traumatic injuries from sports and falls are one major source. Participation in sports is at an all-time high in our country. From traditional sports like football to popular sports like rollerblading and pickleball, and even winter sports like skate and snowboarding — each one requires a diverse range of activities. The variety of stresses landing on the knee is expanding as fast as people’s desire for physical challenge. Unfortunately, the knee is not built to rotate or translate with much amplitude so ligament and cartilage damage is a common consequence as the sports become more extreme. Modern surgical methods have made ligament and cartilage injuries a fairly routine procedure and combined with a proper physical therapy rehabilitation program, a person can be back in action often with full function in a year or less after major knee surgery. The world of sports medicine has advanced light-years from 40-50 years ago in terms of surgical procedures and rehabilitation strategies. This has benefitted the professional athlete all the way down to the occasional runner who just wants to stay active in terms of what modern medicine has to offer. Physical therapy has formed a strong partnership with the orthopedic surgeon since most post-op situations need PT for the surgery to reach its full potential.

The second class of injuries relates to overuse problems around the knee such as Patellofemoral tracking syndrome, tendonitis, or ITB syndrome. Since running is the basis for many sports, an imbalance in what is called the functional kinetic chain from the foot to the pelvis could be responsible for knee pain. Physical therapy is the only profession that will approach the issue with a wide-angle lens to identify the right targets to treat and build support around the knee for repetitive stress.

What Can I do to Relieve Knee Pain?

There are some actions you can take on your own to relieve your knee pain, including wearing properly fitted shoes, using hot and cold remedies, stretching, and taking breaks from physical activity when noticing painful flare-ups. However, physical therapy is the best way to find consistent, long-lasting relief for your knee pain. Through manual therapy, strength training, flexibility training, balance training, and pain-specific exercises, physical therapy can get your knees moving comfortably once again.

How do you Diagnose Knee Pain?

Our physical therapists will examine your knee for signs of misalignment or structural damage, in addition to examining your stance, posture, gait, and range of motion. If needed, additional tests (such as x-rays) may be conducted. This will help determine the cause of your knee pain so we can treat it accordingly. After your initial evaluation is complete, your physical therapist will prescribe a physical therapy plan specifically for you, aimed at relieving unnatural stresses and strains, and normalizing your joint function.