MANAGING KNEE PAIN

Knees take a beating. It is a joint that is between two long bones so it often bears the brunt of imbalances and weaknesses coming from the foot and/or the hip and pelvis. But the pain often manifests in the knee.

In the last few weeks of summer, I was seeing quite a few patients with knee pain that wouldn’t quit. Symptoms that hurt with descending, climbing, running or just walking around. People often try stretching and waiting it out but to no avail.

I often look to the quad muscle first, it is the big muscle along the front of your thigh. It can get easily overworked when you increase your activity levels and add in more elevation change. When overworked, it can get full of waste and become tight/short. This will put increased pressure on the knee cap which results in pain when squatting, navigating stairs or inclines and sometimes after sitting.

I encourage foam rolling the quad to reduce the tight areas in the muscles. Yes, it will hurt, but the painful areas are telling you they need to be massaged and rolled. Be consistent and roll daily and it may fix the knee pain.

This is not always the final solution to the story but it’s a good start. If you have knee pain that won’t quit after a summer of enjoying the outdoors - reach out and it is often an easier fix than you expect!