Lasting Relief From Knee Pain – With a Comprehensive, Non-Surgical Approach
If you’re dealing with knee pain, stiffness, swelling, clicking, or pain that makes walking, exercising, or climbing stairs difficult, you’re not alone. Knee pain can come from the muscles and tendons around the knee, ligament or meniscus injuries, joint degeneration, or problems with how the hip, knee, and foot work together.
At Wild Horse Health, we take a comprehensive approach to knee pain. We look beyond the location of your pain to determine what is causing it and develop a treatment plan designed to reduce pain, improve function, and help you get back to the activities you enjoy.
Knee pain is a common symptom that can result from injury, overuse, inflammation, degeneration, or problems with the mechanics of the lower extremity.
Knee pain can generally be divided into acute and chronic pain.
Acute Knee Pain
Acute knee pain typically develops suddenly following an injury or specific event. Common causes include:
Chronic Knee Pain
Chronic knee pain develops gradually and may persist for weeks, months, or longer. Common causes include:
Our treatment plans are designed to address the underlying source of knee pain, rather than simply masking symptoms.
Depending on your diagnosis, treatment may include:
Knee pain has many potential causes. Identifying the specific structure involved is an important part of determining the appropriate treatment.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis occurs when the tissues within the knee joint progressively change over time. It commonly causes pain, stiffness, swelling, and reduced mobility, particularly with weight-bearing activities.
Patellofemoral Pain
Pain originating around or behind the kneecap can be associated with altered patellar movement, muscle imbalance, overuse, or changes in lower-extremity biomechanics.
Meniscus Injury
The menisci are pieces of cartilage that help distribute forces within the knee. Injury can occur with twisting or trauma and may cause joint-line pain, clicking, catching, or locking.
Ligament Injuries
The ACL, PCL, MCL, and LCL help stabilize the knee. Sprains and tears can occur during sports, falls, collisions, or sudden changes in direction.
Tendinopathy
The tendons surrounding the knee can become irritated from repetitive loading. Common examples include patellar tendinopathy and quadriceps tendinopathy.
Bursitis
Inflammation of the small fluid-filled sacs surrounding the knee can cause localized pain and tenderness.
Muscle Weakness or Imbalance
Weakness or poor coordination of the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteal muscles, or calf can alter how forces are distributed through the knee.
Hip, Ankle, and Foot Dysfunction
The knee does not function in isolation. Restrictions or altered mechanics in the hip, ankle, or foot can change the forces placed on the knee during walking, running, squatting, and other activities.
Injury or Repetitive Stress
A single traumatic event isn’t always necessary to develop knee pain. Repetitive loading from work, sports, exercise, or other activities can gradually irritate the tissues around the knee.
Factors that may increase the likelihood of knee pain include:
Accurate diagnosis is an important part of treating knee pain. Different conditions can produce similar symptoms, so we use a combination of history, physical examination, orthopedic testing, and imaging when appropriate.
Medical History
We discuss:
Physical Examination
We evaluate:
Specialized orthopedic tests can help determine which structures may be contributing to your symptoms. Depending on your presentation, testing may evaluate the:
We interpret orthopedic tests in combination with your history and physical examination rather than relying on a single test to establish a diagnosis.
Imaging
When clinically appropriate, imaging may be recommended.
When imaging is already available, we review the findings alongside your physical examination to better understand how the imaging relates to your symptoms.
From your first visit, our goal is to determine why your knee hurts and develop a treatment plan based on your specific condition.
Your evaluation may include:
Our goal isn’t simply to get your knee feeling better temporarily. We want to understand the factors contributing to your pain and help you move with greater strength, stability, and confidence.
Knee pain has many potential causes. Osteoarthritis, patellofemoral pain, tendon problems, meniscus injuries, ligament injuries, and biomechanical problems are among the more common causes.
Knee osteoarthritis commonly causes gradual pain and stiffness that worsens with activity. However, other conditions can cause similar symptoms. A physical examination and, when appropriate, X-rays can help determine whether osteoarthritis is contributing to your symptoms.
Many causes of knee pain can be managed without surgery. Treatment depends on the underlying condition and may include activity modification, therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, physical medicine modalities, acupuncture, and other conservative treatments.
In many cases, appropriate exercise is an important part of recovery. However, the type and intensity of exercise should be matched to the underlying condition. Exercising through significant pain or continuing an activity that is aggravating an injury may delay recovery.
Pain with stairs is commonly associated with problems involving the patellofemoral joint, quadriceps, or other structures around the knee. Weakness or altered movement mechanics can also increase stress on the knee.
Pain and stiffness after prolonged sitting can occur with several knee conditions, including patellofemoral pain and osteoarthritis. The specific cause depends on the location of the pain and findings during examination
MRI is generally most useful when there is concern for a significant soft-tissue injury or when symptoms persist despite appropriate conservative care. Your history and physical examination help determine whether advanced imaging is appropriate
Wild Horse Health is a cash-pay clinic. We do not bill insurance directly, but:
At Wild Horse Health, we take the time to understand the source of your knee pain and create a treatment plan designed around your diagnosis, goals, and lifestyle.
Serving patients across Tempe, Phoenix, and the East Valley
