Why Does My Knee Hurt When I Exercise?
With summer in full swing, you’re excited to hit your favorite hiking trail and soak up some sun. But after about twenty minutes, your knee starts aching, and you have to cut the afternoon short.
If this has happened to you, you’re not alone. Knee pain is one of the most common reasons people visit us at Albanese Physical Therapy, especially when it interrupts their workout routines.
While you may be tempted to push through your discomfort, persistent knee pain is a sign that something isn’t functioning as it should. Addressing it effectively means finding out what’s causing it in the first place. And that’s where our team of physical therapists comes in.
Five Possible Reasons Your Knee Might Be Hurting During Activity
Runner’s Knee
If your pain is located around or behind your kneecap, it could be runner’s knee, even if you’re not actually a runner. It develops when the kneecap does not move properly within its groove during movement, often due to hip or thigh weakness that fails to stabilize the knee joint.
Jumper’s Knee
Tendons connect muscles to bones. Repetitive stress from walking, running, jumping, or exercise can irritate these tissues, leading to pain. Jumper’s knee is a particularly common type of tendon irritation, which affects the tendon just below the kneecap.
Meniscus Injuries
The meniscus is a piece of cartilage that acts as a shock absorber within the knee. If it tears, you might notice swelling or pain when performing twisting movements. Meniscus damage can occur suddenly, usually during a sudden pivot, or develop gradually over time.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis involves gradual changes in the joint cartilage and surrounding tissues, leading to pain during activity, stiffness, and swelling. It develops over time rather than from a sudden event or injury, and staying active is crucial for managing your symptoms.
Muscle Weakness and Movement Problems
Sometimes, knee pain doesn’t indicate a problem with the knee at all. Weakness in the hips, glutes, core, or leg muscles can alter how forces are transmitted through the knee during activity. This can cause the knee joint to absorb more impact than it is currently conditioned to handle, resulting in irritation.
Addressing Exercise-Related Knee Pain With Physical Therapy
Knee pain might seem simple on the surface, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all kind of problem.
For example, two patients might come into our clinic. Both are experiencing knee pain during their workouts, and both find going down stairs a struggle. But after a comprehensive assessment that measured their strength, balance, walking patterns, and more, it turns out one patient has runner’s knee, and the other has osteoarthritis.
Although their symptoms were similar, the underlying causes are very different, which means they need very different treatment approaches. Fortunately, Albanese Physical Therapy offers a wide range of treatment techniques that allow us to provide targeted, one-on-one care to help you manage or resolve knee pain in a way that meets your needs.
This might include:
- Hands-on manual therapy techniques to improve joint mobility, reduce stiffness, and improve movement quality
- Progressive strengthening exercises that target key muscle groups, including the hips, thighs, and glutes, to support better movement and joint stability
- Neuromuscular training to help the body relearn efficient movement patterns
- Balance and stability training to help prevent falls and build confidence in movement
- Personalized activity modification strategies, such as improving exercise techniques or changing training volume, to help promote long-term relief
No matter the cause of your discomfort, our goal is simple: help you move with less pain, improve your confidence during activity, and return to the activities that matter most to you.
Has Your Pain Come Back?
Don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment to discuss your personalized treatment plan. Call us today to get started!
Don’t Let Knee Pain Slow You Down
Staying active is one of the best things you can do for your health, but knee pain can leave you feeling stuck on the sidelines.
Fortunately, most sources of knee pain can be addressed with conservative care like physical therapy. Early intervention is particularly important for preventing minor issues from becoming larger problems, helping you stay active for years to come.
If knee pain has put you on the couch, the team at Albanese Physical Therapy is here to help. Contact us today to learn more about what could be causing your knee pain and get started with a personalized treatment plan to help you move more comfortably, build strength, and get back to doing what you love.
Exciting News! New Laser Launch!
Join us for an exclusive Demo Day on Monday, July 27th and be among the first to experience our brand-new laser treatment!
Sign up and save 25% off any package
Spots are filling fast, so call us today to reserve yours!
What is Laser Therapy?
Laser therapy is a therapeutic technique that uses low-level light energy to stimulate cellular processes, promote healing, and reduce inflammation and pain. By targeting specific wavelengths of light to affected areas, it encourages the body’s natural healing abilities and restores balance, allowing you to experience lasting relief and improved quality of life.
A few of the most common conditions treated at Albanese Physical Therapy that benefit from laser therapy include (but not limited to):
• Musculoskeletal Injuries: Injuries to the muscles, ligaments, and tendons that can result from accidents, sports, or daily activities.
• Soft Tissue Injuries: Sprains, strains, and contusions can benefit from laser therapy’s ability to accelerate the healing process, reduce inflammation, and relieve pain.
• Tendinitis: Laser therapy effectively treats various forms of tendinitis by targeting inflammation and promoting tissue regeneration, leading to pain relief and improved function.
• Osteoarthritis: Laser therapy can help reduce pain, inflammation, and stiffness associated with osteoarthritis by improving circulation and promoting tissue repair in the affected joints.
From Our Patients
“Rich and his team made me feel welcome from the initial phone call. Rich has given me hope, which is something I needed to stick with the plan of care he made for me. At home, I do my exercises faithfully because I believe they will help me.” — Google 5-Star Review
Dana’s Delights
Healthy Recipe: Quick Grilled Lemon-Herb Chicken Kebabs
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken breast, cubed
- 2 zucchini, 1 red bell pepper, 1 red onion (all chopped into chunks)
- Marinade: 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tbsp each fresh oregano & parsley, salt & pepper.
- Skewers (soak if wooden)
Instructions
- Marinate: Whisk the marinade ingredients together. Set aside 1/4 cup for serving. Toss the chicken in the remaining marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Assemble: Thread the chicken and chopped vegetables alternately onto the skewers.
- Grill: Cook on a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat (400°F) for 12–15 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve: Drizzle the hot kebabs with the reserved 1/4 cup of marinade and serve immediately.
Stop Letting Pain Get in the Way
If you’re dealing with knee pain, the team at Albanese Physical Therapy is ready to help. We’ll find the root cause and build a treatment plan designed around you, so you can get back to doing what you love, pain-free.
Schedule your free screening today. Simply give us a call at (724) 419-8927 or click below.
