Knee Pain Relief – Evidence Based Approach to Treatment

Knee pain is something that many will experience in their lifetime. In many cases you can find knee pain relief with conservative treatments such as specific exercises and hands-on techniques.

• Yes, even if you have the “bone on bone” X-rays, you can still reduce your pain levels, improve your knee motion and your ability to perform day-to-day activities!
• Yes, if you’re training for a marathon and develop a new knee pain, there are things you can do to continue training for your event!
• Yes, if that old meniscus tear from high school is still nagging you, you can still find knee pain relief!

Knee Pain Treatment

Treating your knee pain begins with a comprehensive examination, evaluation and diagnosis by one of our skilled Physical Therapists. Some of the most common culprits of knee pain include arthritis, patellofemoral joint syndrome (anterior knee pain or “runner’s knee”), and meniscus tears or injuries.

Sometimes your knee pain is driven by multiple causes as well. For all of these conditions, evidence shows that professional physical therapy is effective in helping to reduce your pain, improve your function. Your PT may also help you avoid or prolong the option of surgery, and at the very least, optimize the results from surgery if you do choose that route.

What You Can Do

Evidence in the literature and our experience in treating individuals with knee pain shows us that individualized strengthening and manual therapy treatments are effective in reducing knee pain and helping you restore your active life.

The types of exercises and hands-on treatment will depend on your specific diagnosis and underlying factors, but for many, a good start is with hip strengthening. Why the hips? Because they play a large role in the stability and function of your knees with side-to-side motion.

A few tips and tricks:

• If you’re a runner, you can try increasing your cadence step rate by 10% to significantly reduce the impact forces through your knees.
• If you’re a lifter, you can try the reverse lunge instead of the back squat to reduce knee joint stress while continuing to train.
• If you just wake up with a stiff and achy knee, you can try this banded knee pain relief joint distraction stretch.

Blood Flow Restriction Therapy and Training

Originally developed by NASA and the US military, Blood Flow Restriction Therapy and Training (BFR) is a safe and effective option for many individuals looking for knee pain relief and rehabilitation ranging from post-surgical care to professional level athletic performance.

Under clinical guidance and supervision of one of our highly trained SportsCare Physical Therapists, you can quickly and comfortably develop lean muscle mass and strength with much lighter weights compared to traditional training methods. Recent evidence also suggests that BFR training may help improve bone density. For more information on BFR training, visit our page or request a free consultation.

Knee Pain Evaluation

Call us at SportsCare to set an appointment with one of our Physical Therapists to evaluate your condition and suggest a course of treatment. Call one of our convenient locations to set up an appointment.