Knee pain is one of the most common areas of the body that we treat at Next Level Physio.
It’s especially common in our active population over the age of 25, but it equally affects people who aren’t as active as well.
How do people get knee pain?
You might have been told or thought that,
“well, my knee pain is just a part of getting older and all that wear-and-tear,” or, “that my knee pain is because of all the exercise I do.”
Maybe you’re thinking, “I’ve tried physical therapy for knee pain, and it didn’t work.”
But, have you ever tried something in the past that didn’t work the first time….then tried it another time, and it did?
But isn’t every PT practice the same?
We get asked this question all the time, and we get it.
We’ve worked at conventional PT practices where time was limited, patient volume was high, and we simply could not spend the time we needed to help clients get back to their favorite activities….
And that’s one reason why we’re different at Next Level Physio- we provide one-on-one care with our clients.
Read on….
Now, did you know that many knee issues are caused by issues that are above or below the knee?
That’s right, things that cause knee pain often
happen because of issues that don’t start at the knee joint itself.
To help change your perspective-
Think of the knee as the “middle guy.”
The knee responds to forces from the top half of your body, your hips, your pelvis, and your thighs, but it also responds to forces at the shin bone, foot, ankle, and ground.
That’s why finding and fixing the root cause of your knee pain is important before deciding on and determining the right treatment program to get you back to living life.
Here’s 3 reasons why getting your knee checked out by the right physiotherapy team can make all the difference in getting you back to what you love to do ASAP!
1. If you think your pain is coming from just your knee….you might have missed something.
There are many pain generators of the knee. Here’s a few to get you started:
- Meniscus
- Ribcage and diaphragm
- Pelvis
- Tendon
- Knee cap
- Quads or hamstrings muscles
- Cyst
- Ligament
- Low back
- IT band
- Calf muscle
>75% of the time, when clients come to us with knee pain, the cause of pain is NOT from the knee itself.
Here’s some things that you might not have known can cause and contribute to knee pain:
- Alignment (Pelvis, hip, knee, ankle, foot)
- Mobility
- Misaligned pelvis
- Unstacked pelvic and thoracic diaphragm
- Trauma
- Overuse
- Footwear
- Poor exercise form
- Poor running technique
- Injury elsewhere (low back, hip, knee, foot, ankle)
When you don’t find the root cause of your knee pain, you will delay your own healing.
We’ve seen countless cases of clients who had been through the gamut of medical providers addressing knee pain without long-term or any success.
Unfortunately, many of these same cases actually had an underlying issue elsewhere that wasn’t looked at.
Several people even ended up having surgery that was not necessary.
Case study- “Jane with Knee Pain”
One of our past clients, we’ll call her, “Jane,” complained of pain in the back of her knee for several months. Based on her symptoms and presentation, her past DPT and orthopedist determined that she had a meniscus issue.
An MRI study also showed that there were signs of a meniscus tear.
Well, if they found a possible tear on MRI, that’s probably why Jane had knee pain, right?
Not so fast.
Did you know that MRI’s are not a gold standard, and many people over the age of 30 have meniscus tears, but don’t even know it?
Thought that might be interesting to point out ;)
This is not a knock on the PT, the MRI, or the orthopedist. Sometimes, even the best PTs and physicians can miss something because they had a particularly busy day when they saw you.
MRI’s can be very helpful as well, but they’re not the end all be all.
And, sometimes, surgery may still be needed despite having had physical therapy or other interventions.
That said, after Jane’s meniscus surgery and 6 weeks of physical therapy at a conventional PT practice, she still had no relief of her knee pain.
Frustrated, she began to look for another solution, and found us on Google.
During our free consultation, we reviewed her history, did our Total Body Diagnostic (TBD) screen, and discovered that…
Jane’s knee pain was actually coming from a hamstring muscle attachment behind the knee….but upon further investigation, the real culprits were her pelvis and hip, which were rotated inward on one side, causing that hamstring to contract differently.
Basically, we found an alignment issue.
We later discovered that even the surgeon was surprised when he didn’t find any significant meniscus damage during the surgery based on the MRI findings.
Thankfully, we found something that hadn’t been addressed before.
Jane then came in for the initial evaluation, where we did a deeper dive into her muscles, joints, and functional movements above and below.
We designed a knee program to address her pelvis and hip.
On the first visit, Jane’s knee pain was 90% improved.
Over the next 4 weeks, she completed a specific, functional strength program to get her back to walking, running, and fitness activities without pain.
Magic?
Hardly.
We just took the time to find the source of her knee pain, then determined a different course of action.
Curious about what we can do for your knee pain?
Find out more about our free discovery visit here.
2. Ignoring knee pain can lead to pain in other areas.
If there’s one reason why you need to get your knee checked and addressed- sooner than later, it’s to save you time and money.
Huh?
That’s right.
Why? Because >60% of our past clients who waited too long, and didn’t address their knee pain, ended up developing issues AND spending time and money addressing pain elsewhere- low back, hip, other knee, foot and ankle, and even the neck!
Maybe you know what we mean when we say, “waited too long-”
“Oh, I’ll just rest my knee, and give it some time…”
“Meh, I can still get around, I’ll just wait it out…”
“I don’t think it’s that bad, yet…”
The longer you wait, the greater the likelihood of developing an avoidable issue.
No, this isn’t a fear tactic. It's a fact.
And, when one area is unbalanced or misaligned, it may affect our entire body.
So, you can imagine how favoring your knee might contribute to problems in other areas of your body.
Tired of waiting it out? Contact us for a free consultation here
3. When you wait too long, sometimes you end up on a cycle of pain pills, injections, or surgery…and in chronic pain.
There’s sometimes a time and place for pills, shots, and surgery….
But, we believe in doing everything you can before you need to take that route.
If all you’re doing is treating symptoms, you’re only going to repeat the cycle of pain in the future, which can lead to:
Chronic PAIN
Chronic pain is an awful state to be in.
Ask any of our clients we’re helping to get out of it.
Over time and for many reasons, your brain can create a hard-wired connection to your knee pain even when no physical damage is present.
You might have heard the expression, “all pain comes from the brain.”
In the pain science literature, we know that when pain goes on for too long and is left untreated, you tend to avoid using that part of the body, but, ironically, the pain begins to become more concrete in your brain…to the point where the pain exists when injury and damage don’t.
Are you saying my knee pain can become, “all in my head?”
Yes, and in the most respectful way.
The pain has become a hard-wired area in your brain.
Ironically, the best way to treat chronic knee pain is through physiotherapy.
We use graded exposure to the activities that are painful and careful progression of exercises and modalities to shut down that pain map.
The point we’re making here is, don’t wait too long to address your knee pain.
Here’s Our Method
Our 3 step process for how we get clients back to their favorite activities is the Move.Excel.Inspire (MEI) Method.
In the Move phase, we focus on a whole body reset, range of motion, and addressing the root cause of your pain and limitations.
During the Excel phase, we stabilize, strengthen, and secure your joints.
The Inspire phase is all about building your resilience, testing your healing capacity and making sure you’re ready to get back to living or playing hard!
What are the next steps for me or my family to see a top-notch physio at Next Level?
Well, you don’t need a prescription to get started in NJ AND the first visit is free. That’s one less step for you to get the care you deserve :)
At Next Level Physio, we spend the time during your free consultation, aka the discovery visit, reviewing your history, performing some tests, and giving you our initial recommendations.
Did you say, “free?” Ok, what’s the catch?
None! If you decide you want to go somewhere else or that you’re still not sure if we’re the right fit for you, you’re welcome to take the information and recommendations we give to you and find another provider. No hard feelings!
BUT, if you decide we’re the right fit, then here’s what we promise when you commit to becoming a client at Next Level Physio:
-An entire team who really cares about giving you the best experience
-Professional, expert, family-feel care
-A physio team who lives and breathes what we preach!
-Individualized and challenging movement programs for your specific needs
-Quality time with your doctor of physical therapy
-Cutting edge, active rehab approaches to accelerate your healing capacity, and
RESULTS….
That’s also why we’re not for everyone. If you’re the type of person who expects and wants things done to you passively during a session, or a “quick fix,” we won’t be the right fit for you.
Clients who value Next Level Physio see their plan of care as a partnership with us and will commit to doing the hard work to get their long-term, desired results :)
We’re all about getting you back to feeling and finishing even better than when you first started with us. It’s a whole body approach.
Here’s what others have said about their care at Next Level Physio:
You and your family now have 5 choices to choose from-
- Continue living in pain and further delay the healing process and cause more potential damage down the road.
- Continue taking pain meds…and the cycle of frustration and suffering.
- Continue thinking that your aches and pains will magically go away….in a few more weeks or months.
- Continue missing out on your workout “family” or social group.
- Take a step in the right direction that won’t cost you a dime- a free consultation at Next Level Physio.
If you’re ready for that next step….
Click here to schedule that free consultation
but, if you’re really eager to get started….
Contact us at Next Level Physio today.
You don’t have to suffer anymore!
"This ebook does not provide medical advice. It is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read in this ebook. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911."