Northern Michigan
Physical Therapy Blog

About Knee & Leg Pain

by | Jul 11, 2020

Advanced strategies to treat knee pain using a multi-joint approach. Get relief from knee pain and mobility issues.

When looking at knee pain it is often more complicated then looking only at the knee. The knee is stuck between two joints that are much more dynamic then it is. It can be thought of as being stuck in the middle with no place to hide. The knee is a hinge joint, so just like the hinge on a door it is made to bend primarily in one direction.

Knees flex and extend, but allow very little motion side to side or rotationally. Due to this, motions that cause the knee to twist or move side to side are usually the motions that cause knee pain and injury. Knowing this, when coming up with strategies to treat knee pain it is important to look at the joints above it and below it. Above the knee we have the hip which can move well in all directions. Below the knee we have the ankle which can also move well in all directions. Often times someone with knee pain will have either a mobility or stability restriction in either side to side or rotational motions in the hip or ankle.

Erase Knee Pain & Regain Mobility

These restrictions add a lot of stress to the knee which can injure it or overtime cause degenerative changes to the knee. These restrictions must be addressed as part of a successful treatment plan. Here at Pursuit Physical Therapy we specialize at looking at the body as a whole. We obviously examine the joint or area that is painful but also know it is just as important to look at the rest of the body as well. Often times the real underlying problem isn’t the area that is painful. When it comes to knees the answer is often times found in the hips and ankles.

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