The traditional approach to treating knee pain is not working. Pills and injections only offer temporary relief. Both of these therapies mask the symptoms and lead you closer to surgery. When relied upon by themselves, the pain always comes back.
When these traditional approaches to treating knee pain fail, most people are told to give up their activity. They are told that there is nothing else they can do. This is not true.
Below, you’ll learn about the THREE true root causes of knee pain that are most commonly overlooked so you know what you can do to heal from knee pain, feel confident in your mobility, and trust your knee to support you in the activities you love.
1. Movement Patterns
Each time you get out of a chair, pick something up, or step off a curb your brain sends your muscles rapid signals to coordinate this movement. When the signals aren’t clean or clear (perhaps due to pain or injury) we get in an unhealthy loop which overtime leads to more pain.
Learning how to move properly and “resetting” these movement patterns is essential to stopping the cycle of knee pain. Without resetting the pattern pills, injections, and even surgery will not help longterm.
2. Mobility
Your knee is what I like to call a “joint of consequence”. It goes where the ankle below and the hip above “tell” it to go. Any tightness or lack of mobility in the hip or ankle will change the pressure and strain the knee is feeling. Ankle stiffness transfers up into the knee with each step – over time leading to more knee pain.
It’s critical to address both the hip and the ankle range of motion when treating knee pain. Any recovery plan that does not address above and below the knee is not supporting long term sustainable knee health.
3. Strength
I like to think of strength as the “exit strategy” for knee pain. Once you have reset your movement patterns and built mobility above and below the knee, the next thing you need to address is strength – the body’s ability to control the movement and support your lifestyle.
It’s muscular strength that protects the knee joints to provide shock absorption and keep knees from feeling the brunt of impact. NOTE: Research shows that you can have bone-on-bone arthritis in your knees and it NOT be symptomatic. WHY? The muscular support in addition to smart movement patterns and mobility take the impact out of the joint.
Take-a-way: Having adequate strength protects the knee joint. Protecting the knee joint with the right strength is VITAL to overcoming knee pain and getting you back to doing what you love.
At Alpine Fit Physical Therapy and Nutrition, we’ve helped many 100’s of adults keep active, strong, and doing what they love – even when nothing else has worked.
By taking the time to assess and address how you move, how much movement you have, and your ability to control that movement we are able to overcome knee pain – even when you doctor has told you there’s nothing you can do or that you need surgery. If you have questions about your specific cause or want to see if this approach is right for you – schedule a time too speak to one of our knee pain specialists at the link below.
