The bane of every runner is runner’s knee: that dull, aching pain in the front of your knee. It can start mild, but spiral quickly into extreme pain that interferes with your activity. At-home treatments like ice and rest may keep the pain at bay for a while, but it comes back.
If this sounds familiar, you may be looking for the next step in your treatment. Is physical therapy the right choice?
Runner’s Knee vs. Knee Pain
First – you may be wondering if your knee pain is caused by runner’s knee, or if it’s something else. It’s impossible to know for sure without seeing a professional, but if any of the following sounds familiar, it might be runner’s knee:
- Pain in or around the knee – especially when active or after sitting for long periods of time with your knees bent.
- Rubbing or grinding of the knee while moving.
- Clicking of the knee while moving. Sometimes this is a sensation, sometimes it’s an audible click.
- Swollen or tender kneecaps.
- Limited range of mobility in the knees – with pain when you try to move your knee.
If you’re experiencing the above and the pain hasn’t gone away and/or your symptoms worsen, then it’s time to take the next step.
Should I See a Physical Therapist for Runner’s Knee?
Short version: absolutely!
Physical therapy offers two unique benefits for runners experiencing runner’s knee: relief now and preventative care for the future.
Physical Therapy for Runner’s Knee Pain Relief
Physical therapy is an extremely successful method for treating runner’s knee because it goes beyond symptom management and into how your entire body moves together, your daily activities, your ability level, and your running schedule to create a truly customized care plan that will eliminate pain at the root.
Because physical therapy is so customized to each individual, it’s hard to say which treatment option will be most effective for your runner’s knee. That’s another reason to visit one of our experienced Doctors of Physical Therapy – they will match you with the perfect treatment plan and adjust as needed to ensure a healthy, successful treatment.
Read More: Preventative & Performance Therapy for Runners with PRO Therapy
Physical Therapy for Preventing Runner’s Knee
A physical therapist at PRO Therapy can identify and help resolve any missteps in your form and movement – which helps you to prevent future injury. Additionally, physical therapy offers many ongoing performance benefits for runners:
- Improve flexibility and balance
- Increase range of motion
- Improve endurance
- Identify proper gait and balance
Related Content: Can Physical Therapy Really Improve Sports Performance?
Physical therapy will help your runner’s knee in both the short term and long term, for improved performance and a better quality of life.
Physical Therapy With PRO Therapy
At PRO Therapy you will always experience precise, caring, and one on one care from a Licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy – no tech aides, no rehab assistants, no personal trainers – to help you decrease pain by the time you walk out the door of your first session and create a plan to adhere to going forward.
If you want to make physical therapy a success, partnering with one of our Doctors of Physical Therapy is going to help you avoid future pain and resolve current pain.
We Love to Help People:
- Keep Active – So you can run after your kids all day, take your grandchildren to the park with ease, enjoy a nice round of golf, run or walk anytime that suits you.
- Stay Free From Painkillers – So you’re not always reaching in the cupboard for pills to ease the pain whenever it strikes, getting only a “quick fix” when you need a “permanent fix” – PLUS they’re no good for your long-term health, “mask” the pain and certainly don’t actually do anything to fix the problem.
- Avoid Dangerous Injections/Surgery – We’ll help you get to the root cause of what’s going on – so you don’t have to get to the point of having to face injections or surgery.
- Found Out What’s Wrong – We’ll help give you peace of mind and ensure that your problem is “corrected” and “healed” properly – also give you a set of exercises perfectly catered to you to help speed up recovery.
- Get More Enjoyment Out Of Life – So you can enjoy quality time with family and friends that your daily aches and pains steal from you – also finally get a good night of sleep without constantly tossing and turning.
Read Now: Why Our Physical Therapy Team Are Amazing (And What They Have Taught Me)
Are you ready to make physical therapy work for you? Give us a call and try our complimentary phone and in-person consultations. We aim to meet our patients wherever they are in their journey and answer all questions we can to ensure a smooth experience at PRO Therapy. Let us help you make the best decision for you!
PRO Therapy is an Independently Owned Orthopedic Physical Therapy Clinic. At PRO Therapy, we treat back, knee, neck/shoulder, ankle/foot, and hip pain as well as sports injuries, surgery rehabilitation, and anything else that’s causing you pain. We want everyone to have exceptional care, better access to care and be able to complete the activities in life that make them happy – free from a life of painkillers, injections, or surgeries.
Do You Want to Be in Less Pain?
Maybe you’re left feeling Confused? Skeptical? Fearful? Anxious? Depressed? You’ve sought advice from other healthcare professionals, maybe even a Physical Therapist in the past, but nothing they seemed to say or do helped solve your problem.
