Knee Pain

What Causes Knee Pain?

There are various causes of knee pain. Often knee pain results from a sports-related or work-related injury, but just as often knee pain can occur without specific traumatic event. Chronic knee pain may be due to arthritis or overuse. Common causes of knee pain in children and adolescents include patellofemoral pain syndrome, Osgood-Schlatter lesions, patellar tendonitis, and ligament injuries. Young adults commonly have knee pain due to patellofemoral pain syndrome, medial plica syndrome, pes anserine bursitis, trauma causing a ligament sprain or tear and/or meniscus tear, inflammation, muscle strain, and arthritis. Older adults typically have knee pain due to osteoarthritis, an inflammatory condition such as gout, or a Baker’s cyst. We treat many patients with knee pain following a surgical procedure. In some instances knee pain can be referred from compression of a nerve root from levels L2-S3 at the low back. Knee pain can also result from a biomechanical alignment issue at the foot or at the hip.

What Is The Treatment For Knee Pain?

The physical therapy treatment will be dependent on the specific structures causing the pain. This usually involves stretching of tight muscles and structures to improve range of motion. Neuromuscular reeducation of the muscles around the knee and hip joints will help decrease the load on the knee and improve stability. Balance and proprioception activities will be incorporated into each treatment plan. We will work on gait training to correct any compensatory strategies and help you return to walking without a limp. Modalities may be used to help decrease inflammation or for short term pain relief. If you have a weight-bearing restriction, we will teach you how to walk using an assistive device (walker or crutches), ensure the device is adjusted properly to fit you, and ensure you maintain this weight-bearing restriction to allow proper healing.

Knee Pain Treatment Benefits:

Your physical therapist will help you meet your specific goals and help you return to your prior level of function. We will not only help our athletes return to sport, but we will help improve their mechanics to decrease the probability of future injury. If the knee pain is due to a biomechanical or alignment issue, we can help correct these issues to decrease your pain. A recent study printed in Physical Therapy Journal shows that early rehabilitation of patients with non-traumatic knee pain decreased the length of pain and disability, they were 33% less likely to engage in later use of drugs, and they were 42% less likely to undergo surgery when compared to intermediate and late rehab groups.