Hip and Knee Pain Relief

Physical Therapy Can Help Treat Your Hip and Knee Pains

Living With Hip or Knee Pain? Relief Is Closer Than You Think.

 Have you noticed sharp pains in your hip that keep you from being able get up easily in the mornings, move around during the day, or get comfortable in bed at night? Are you experiencing pain in your knees that causes you to feel like they might give out from under you at any time? Knee and hip pain can seriously get in the way of your routine, especially if you’re dealing with both at the same time!

Whichever might be giving you trouble, physical therapy at Skillz Physical Therapy in Evanston, IL can find the root of your problem and treat it safely and comfortably — without the use of harmful drugs. Contact us today to learn more.

Why Do I Have Hip and Knee Pain?

Hip and knee pain can be caused by referred pain from a pinched sciatic nerve, as the nerve travels through both areas. Imbalances in your stance or gait may cause abnormal stresses and premature wear-and-tear in your hips and knees, resulting in pain or conditions such as arthritis.

Many times, the hips and knees suffer the same diseases, disorders, and injuries. For example, overuse injuries such as tendinitis and chronic muscle strains are common in both the hips and knees because both joints are always being used. They are also both subject to acute injuries, such as sprains, strains, and dislocation.

However, some painful conditions may be specific to either the hope or the knee. Cartilage injuries, or labral tears, are specific to hip pain, while inflammation of the bursa sacs known as bursitis is a specific condition affecting the knee joint. However, painful injuries that cause instability in the hips can also affect the knees. Tight hip flexor muscles and weak gluteus medius muscles can cause the hip to rotate inward, and you may not even realize it’s happening! This can cause painful conditions such as iliotibial band friction syndrome or patellofemoral stress syndrome, as stress is put on the knee or kneecap.

Thankfully, our skilled and educated Evanston, IL physical therapists here at Skillz Physical Therapy know how to treat these painful conditions and will have you feeling back to your old self in no time!

What Causes Hip and Knee Pain to Develop?

You’ve heard the old song that goes, “Your knee bone is connected to your hip bone,” right? Hip and knee pains can be experienced together or separately, but it is important to note that because of their connection, what happens with one, affects the other!

Your knee is a hinge joint, confined to forward-and-backward motions. Individually, your knees support more weight than the hips, 6 times your body weight when doing a squat. Your hip is a ball-and-socket joint that works to support the weight of your upper body, relying on multiple muscles and tissues to keep it mobile and stable so it can function properly. Proper movement of both your hips and knees allows complicated motions, giving you the ability to stand, walk, run, and dance without falling over.

Pain felt in the hips and/or knees may originate in the joints themselves, but it may also be a result of an underlying condition in another part of the body. For example, your hips and knees are part of the same kinetic chain, meaning they make up a combination of weight-bearing joints that must function together in harmony in order for your body and posture to function properly.

Therefore, a problem with your knee joint may translate to unnecessary added forces to your hips, and vice versa. If one part of the kinetic chain is out of balance, stress and deterioration may be placed on another.

How Can Physical Therapy Help My Hip and Knee Pain?

At Skillz Physical Therapy, our physical therapists will work to reduce or even eliminate your hip and knee pain. Often we find that our patients can be spared the need for harmful medication or expensive corrective surgery. Our Evanston, IL physical therapists are highly trained and can examine your hip or knee for signs of misalignment or damage, as well as examine your balance, gait, posture, and overall range of motion.

During your physical therapy treatment, you will be given exercises for relieving your joint pain and stabilizing any weak hip or knee tissues. These exercises will most likely vary depending on your specific condition. For example, research has demonstrated that people suffering from patella pain (pain located in the kneecaps) tend to respond better to exercises that focus on strengthening both the hips and knees, rather than just focusing on the knees by themselves.

Core exercises may also be suggested for you to do in order to strengthen your core, lower back muscles, lower abdominal muscle groups, and pelvic muscles. Core exercises are meant to improve your posture and reduce the amount of weight you carry on both sides of your body.

Your physical therapist may also recommend additional customized treatments, such as mobilizations to improve joint movement or other soft tissue treatments that offer pain relief and promote the healing of damaged tissues in the hip or knees.

Contact Skillz Physical Therapy For Relief

Are you ready to bid hip and knee pain farewell? Contact Skillz Physical Therapy today to schedule an appointment with one of our dedicated Evanston, IL physical therapists, and get started on the path toward long-lasting pain relief. Your hips and knees will thank you!