Physical Therapy for Knee Pain and Hip Pain

Knee and Hip Pain: How Physical Therapy Can Bring You Relief

Your hips and knees are crucial for movement and stability, but they can suffer from various issues like overuse injuries, arthritis, or acute injuries such as sprains and strains. Hip and knee pain can also be interconnected due to their role in the same kinetic chain, meaning a problem in one area can affect the other.

At One on One Physical Therapy, our physical therapists conduct comprehensive evaluations to determine the cause of your pain and develop personalized treatment plans, which may include targeted exercises, stretches, manual therapy, and other specialized treatments to alleviate pain and restore function. Contact us today to start your journey toward pain-free living and regain control of your life.

What Do Hip and Knee Joints Support in the Body?

Hip and knee pain can be experienced together or as separate issues, but because the knee and hip bones are connected, what happens to one will eventually affect the other. Your hip is a “ball-and-socket” joint that supports your upper body weight, relying on various muscles and tissues for stability and movement. Unlike your hips, your knees are “hinge joints,” which only make forward and backward motions. Both knees support more weight than your hips, and when you squat, they bear six times your body weight! You can perform complex motions such as running, dancing, walking, or even just standing when your knees and hips are functioning properly. When they are not, you risk losing your balance and falling over.

What Causes Hip and Knee Pain?

Hip and knee pain can start in the joints themselves or be the result of an underlying condition elsewhere in the body. This is because your knees and hips are part of the same kinetic chain, meaning they form a combination of weight-bearing joints that must work together for proper body posture and function. Any issue in one joint can cause pain in the other. If one part of this chain is disrupted, the other part may suffer from stress and deterioration.

Common Conditions Affecting Knees and Hips

Overuse Injuries

Injuries due to overuse, such as tendinitis and chronic muscle strain, are common in both the hips and knees because these joints are constantly in use. These joints are also susceptible to acute injuries like dislocation, sprains, and strains.

Amplified Pain from Other Sources

Other conditions, like a pinched sciatic nerve, can amplify hip and knee pain because the nerve travels through both areas. Poor posture or an off-kilter gait can cause unusual stresses and premature wear-and-tear in your knees and hips, often resulting in arthritis.

Specific Painful Conditions

Certain conditions are specific to either the hip or knee joints. Labral tears are cartilage injuries specific to the hip, while bursitis, or inflammation of the bursa sacs, commonly affects the knee joint. However, injuries in the hips can affect the knees too. For instance, tight hip flexor muscles or weak gluteus medius muscles can cause the hip to rotate inward, leading to conditions like patellofemoral stress syndrome or iliotibial band friction syndrome in the knees.

How Physical Therapy Can Help with Hand, Wrist and Elbow Pain

At One on One Physical Therapy, we offer treatments to relieve and reduce your nagging hip and knee pain without the need for expensive surgeries or addictive medications. Our Atlanta physical therapists will assess the areas causing you pain, looking for signs of structural damage or misalignment.

They will also examine your posture, stance, range of motion, and gait. After your physical examination, our therapists will create a customized physical therapy treatment plan aimed at alleviating your pain, reducing stress on your joints, and restoring proper function.

Customized Exercise Plans

Your physical therapist will prescribe specific exercises to target pain areas and stabilize weak knee and/or hip tissues. Research shows that patients suffering from patella pain (pain in the kneecaps) respond better to exercises that strengthen both the hips and knees rather than focusing solely on the knees. Core strengthening exercises targeting the lower back, pelvic, and lower abdominal muscles will also be included to improve posture and balance weight distribution on both sides of your body.

Additional Treatments

Extra specialized treatments such as soft tissue massage, mobilizations to improve joint movement, and possibly modalities like heat and ice therapy, ultrasound, or electrical stimulation might be included in your care plan to promote healing and relieve pain.

Contact Our Office Today to Get Started with Your Healing

Contact One on One Physical Therapy today to speak with one of our dedicated Atlanta physical therapists, and start on the path toward long-lasting pain relief. It is time to take a stand against your hip and knee pain. Your hips and knees will thank you for it later!