The case of running knee pain that is not really knee pain?

Are you suffering from running knee pain (Runner’s Knee)? Or have you stopped running because of knee pain?

Read this story about an interesting case of a runner with knee pain So here is a brief history:  patient is an avid runner who runs 3-6 miles maybe 2-3x a week.  She had experienced a case of IT band Syndrome in the past but recently was complaining of knee pain that had also failed conservative physical therapy treatment last month.  She wanted to consult with me to see if I could solve her knee pain and to see if she could run again.  I performed my evaluation and she definitely presented with some major impairments, most notably a genu valgus when performing SL squats.

Genu Valgus of the knee (Knocked Knee)

Over the next 2 weeks we addressed the hip muscle weakness and attempted to correct the altered biomechanics.  She began showing increased strength and improved biomechanics, but she was still experiencing her same knee pain????  In my residency I remember reading a case study of a runner with knee pain that was not responding to treatment and they treated the pelvis and this resolved the pain.  So I took a step back, treated her pelvis and this resolved her symptoms!  She was pain free the next week and back running 3+ miles pain free!

Solve the problem that is causing your knee pain

All knee pain is not just as simple as having patellar tendinitis, knee arthritis, etc.  The goal is to solve the true problem that is causing the pain!  If not, you will miss the problem and not get the results you want.  There is no need to spend 3-4 months in treatment either ( which I see many patients who tell me that they received treatment for 3-4-5+ months).  If you correctly identify the problem, the pain should resolve.     Laura B.