Knee Pain
Knee pain, swelling or a knee that gives way usually comes from runner’s knee, a meniscus tear, a ligament sprain such as the ACL, tendinitis or arthritis. Many knee injuries can be rehabbed without surgery, and when surgery is needed, therapy before and after makes a difference. Our physical therapists in Laguna Niguel treat the knee and what is loading it.
What is behind your knee pain
The knee takes the load of every step, so where it hurts and when matters.
Runner’s knee (patellofemoral pain)
An ache around or behind the kneecap, worse going up and down stairs, squatting, sitting for long or running.
Meniscus tears
Pain along the joint line, sometimes with catching or swelling, after a twist or with age.
Ligament sprains and ACL tears
A knee that gives way after a pivot or landing, often with swelling soon afterward.
Patellar tendinitis and IT band syndrome
Jumper’s knee at the front and pain at the outside of the knee in runners and cyclists.
Knee arthritis
Stiffness and aching that comes with wear in the joint, covered more on arthritis and joint pain.
The hip, the foot and the way you move often explain a sore knee
The knee sits between the hip and the foot, and stiffness at either end can overload it. A post on the LOR blog on hidden reasons your knee hurts makes the same point, and so does our hip pain page. Foot position matters too, see foot and ankle pain.
For runners and cyclists, our Sports Lab can film how you move and measure the angles at the knee, so the plan treats the cause.
How we treat knee pain
Strength and control
Therapeutic exercise for the muscles around the hip, knee and ankle, built up to the demands of your activity.
Hands-on care
Manual therapy for the knee, the hip and the foot.
Movement analysis and training
For active people, running analysis and the cycling evaluation show what is loading the knee, and we retrain it.
Before and after surgery
If you need a knee replacement, an ACL reconstruction or a meniscus repair, therapy before and after helps. Read more on post-surgical rehab, and on getting back to sport on sports injury rehab.
Questions about knee pain
Why does my knee hurt on stairs?
Knee pain going up stairs is typical of runner’s knee, where the kneecap is irritated, and it can also come from arthritis. Knee pain when squatting points to the same places.
What happens after an ACL tear?
After an ACL tear, the knee swells and may give way. Some people recover with rehab alone, and others need surgery. Your surgeon decides, and strengthening before and after helps either way.
Knee pain care in Laguna Niguel, California
LOR Physical Therapy treats knee pain at our Laguna Niguel clinic, 31271 Niguel Road, Suite J, for patients across South Orange County.
Whether your insurance plan needs a referral differs from plan to plan: call the number on your insurance card to check, or call us before your first visit and we will help you find out.
Meet the people who treat you on our team page.