KNEE PAIN
Knee pain can affect nearly every part of your day—from walking and stairs to exercise and sports. At Active Alliance Physical Therapy, we help people in Greenville, SC reduce knee pain, improve strength and mobility so they have confidence, and and get back to running, climbing stairs, playing basketball, or whatever else brings you joy!
What Causes Knee Pain?
Knee pain can be quite simple, or very complex. Sometimes you’ve just done a little more than the knee and its associated structures can handle, and it needs some help to recover. Other times, there’s a complex interplay between the hip, the knee, the ankle, and their associated muscles that result in pain at the knee. We’re comfortable treating it all! Some common causes that we see are:
Overuse or training-related stress
Muscle weakness or imbalance
Joint stiffness or mobility restrictions
Changes in activity level (“You know what, I’ll run a 10K today!”)
Prior injury or surgery
Understanding why your knee hurts is an important first step toward recovery, and we’re here to explain all of that to you!
Knee Pain Evaluation
Your initial visit is centered on understanding how your knee moves and functions, and especially how it interacts with the other parts of your body.
Your physical therapist will assess:
Knee strength and range of motion
Hip and ankle mobility, control, and strength
Movement patterns of the activities that bother you (squatting, running, stair climbing, etc.)
Joint mobility, muscle tension, nerve sensitivity
This whole-body approach helps identify contributors to knee pain that are often missed.
Physical Therapy Treatment for Knee Pain
Treatment is tailored to your symptoms, activity level, and goals. Physical therapy for knee pain can include all sorts of things, some of which may be:
Progressive strengthening exercises
Mobility and flexibility work
Manual therapy to reduce pain, improve mobility, improve muscle activation
Movement retraining for daily tasks and exercise
Guidance on modifying activities appropriately (if needed)
Our focus is helping you build confidence in your knee again.
Knee Pain and Staying Active
Many people worry that activity will worsen knee pain, but often activity is helpful for knee pain! With proper guidance, physical therapy helps you:
Stay active while avoiding flare ups
Gradually return to those activities that you miss at the right pace
Improve tolerance to things like stairs, squatting, and running
Reduce the risk of future flare-ups, and teach you how to deal with them if they happen
We work with you to find the right balance between rest and movement during your recovery. Our ultimate goal though is to restore the joy of being active and give you confidence to keep moving!
When Physical Therapy Is Appropriate
Physical therapy may be a good option if:
Knee pain limits daily activities or exercise
Pain has persisted for a while, or keeps returning
You feel weakness, instability, or stiffness
You want to stay active but aren’t sure what’s safe or appropriate
In South Carolina, most people can start physical therapy without a physician referral.
