Tag Archive for: knee pain awareness

5 Natural Ways to Keep Your Knees Healthy and Moving This Summer

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When you live in New England, summer is a short and precious season. And you don’t want something like nagging knee pain ruining it for you. Whether you’re walking the beach, gardening, playing a round of golf or pickle ball, or tackling your favorite hiking trail – knee pain can quickly turn your favorite summer activities into frustrating experiences. 

The good news?

There’s a lot you can do – starting right now – to protect and support your knees naturally. 

Here are five of my top tips for helping people keep their knees healthy and mobile – so you can enjoy your summer instead of worrying about knee pain:

  1. Strengthen Your Hips and Core

Your knees don’t operate in isolation. They rely on surrounding muscles – especially your hips and core – for proper support and alignment. When these areas are weak, your knees can become stiff and painful due to the extra strain they have to endure to compensate. Strengthening your hips and core improves not only how your knees feel and function, but how your entire body moves. And the better you move as a whole, the less likely you’ll be to place unwanted stress on your knees.

  1. Optimize Your Knee Mobility

One of the most important principles I share with patients is “mobility before stability.” If your joints are stiff, the muscles around them can’t function properly. When it comes to knees, that little bit of hyperextension or “give” at the end of your range isn’t just normal – it’s often a critical yet overlooked aspect of healthy knee function. I see this missed all the time in rehab protocols, especially after procedures like arthroscopy. It may seem minor at the time, but years later, that unaddressed stiffness can cause big problems. I also frequently see issues when one knee is significantly less mobile than the other – often due to a past injury – which can lead to imbalance and compensation elsewhere. When you optimize your knee mobility, your knees will move and feel better. So keep them moving – and stop “protecting” them so much. You may be doing more harm than good.

  1. Stop Sitting So Much

You hear this advice all the time when it comes to back health – but did you know that sitting too much isn’t great for your knees either? Prolonged sitting – whether at a desk, in the car, or lounging – can lead to stiffness and reduced circulation in your knees. It also tightens your hip flexors and hamstrings, which can place abnormal stress on your knee joints. Knees don’t like being in one position for too long. If you notice that your first few steps after sitting feel achy or painful, it’s a sign you need to move more. Make it a point to stand up, stretch, or take a short walk at least once every 30 minutes. These quick breaks go a long way in supporting knee health – and your spine will thank you, too.

  1. Choose Supportive Footwear

Footwear plays a significant role in how your knees feel. The shoes you wear impact how forces travel up through your legs – and summer favorites like flip-flops often provide little to no support. Poor footwear can alter your gait and posture, placing unnecessary strain on your knees. When choosing shoes, look for options that are comfortable and offer good arch support and cushioning – especially if you’ll be walking or standing for long periods. Also consider the width of your shoes, as feet tend to swell and widen in the heat during extended activity. Supportive sandals do exist – just be mindful of when and how long you wear less supportive styles.

  1. Work on Your Balance

Balance isn’t just important for fall prevention – it also plays a key role in how well your joints absorb and distribute force. Good balance ensures that your feet, ankles, and core work together to stabilize your movements. When that coordination is off, your knees often have to compensate, which can lead to pain and unwanted wear and tear over time. Simple balance exercises – or activities like yoga, which emphasize control and stability – can help retrain your neuromuscular system and reduce unnecessary strain on your knees. You’ll notice the benefits of improved balance in all areas of life, but especially during favorite summer activities like hiking, pickleball, beach walks, and paddleboarding.

If you’re dealing with persistent knee pain – even one or two of these strategies could make a noticeable difference.

And if your knee pain is keeping you from being active or doing your favorite summer activities, it might be time to seek expert help. A physical therapist who specializes in mechanical pain can assess your movement and identify the root cause – so you can get back to doing what you love – and without having to rely on pills or surgery.

Dr. Carrie Jose, Physical Therapy Specialist, and Mechanical Pain Expert, owns CJ Physical Therapy & Pilates in Portsmouth, NH, and writes for Seacoast Media Group. If local to Portsmouth, NH, and looking for help – request a FREE Discovery Visit with one of her Specialists by CLICKING HERE.

For the Dad Who Has Everything… Except Good Knees

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It’s that time of year when we celebrate the dads in our lives – and if the one in your life is anything like mine – then he’s probably a little tough to shop for. Maybe he already has all the tech toys and grilling gadgets he wants. Maybe he’s not one to ask for much. But if there’s one thing a lot of dads over 40 don’t have – but wish they did – is good knees.

Knee pain is one of the most common complaints I hear from the men over 40 who walk into my clinic – and it’s also the most common form of osteoarthritis. For some, it’s been a nagging issue for years. For others, it creeps in gradually – starting with a little stiffness when getting up from the couch, or a strange “click” here and there. Then one day, it hits you… Playing golf isn’t fun anymore, and going up and down stairs now feels more like a chore – because your knees just hurt all the time.

Yes, knee pain does become more common as we age – but not necessarily for the reasons you think.

People love to blame arthritis and “wear and tear” for just about everything. And while a previous injury or underlying arthritis might be present, they’re not always the primary culprits. What most people don’t realize – including dads – is that the root cause of knee pain is often mechanical. In other words, it has more to do with how your body moves (or doesn’t move) than what’s actually going on inside the joint.

Let me explain.

Your knees sit between your hips and ankles – two areas that are meant to move a lot and absorb shock. But if the hips or ankles aren’t doing their job properly (which is surprisingly common), that stress has to go somewhere – and the knees usually pay the price. Over time, poor mechanics can lead to pain, inflammation, and breakdown of the joint. But here’s the good news – if the pain is mechanical, it’s very treatable – and sometimes even reversible – all without drugs, injections, or surgery.

So why don’t more dads know about this?

For one, we’ve normalized knee pain – especially in men over 40. There are societal and cultural beliefs like, “You’re getting older, it’s supposed to hurt a little.” Or worse, “If it hurts too much, you can always replace it.” That kind of thinking is unproductive, unnecessary, and can even be dangerous. Yes, knee replacements are sometimes the right call – but far too often, they’re offered before the right conservative options have been fully explored. And with so many cutting-edge, non-invasive technologies now available that promote longevity and let you keep your original parts – dads should absolutely be exploring these options first.

But another big reason? Men – especially dads – tend to avoid asking for help. They’re used to being the fixers, not the ones getting fixed. Many try to “tough it out,” hoping the pain will go away on its own. Others pop ibuprofen or throw on a brace and carry on. But these strategies are just band-aids. They might provide temporary relief, but they don’t address the actual cause of the pain – and in some cases, they can even make things worse.

The real solution starts with a deeper understanding of why your knee pain is happening in the first place. Remember – 80% of all knee pain is mechanical in nature.

So if you or someone you love is dealing knee pain – here are a few important things to keep in mind:

  1. Rest isn’t always the answer.
    It might seem like common sense to rest an aching knee – but too much rest can lead to stiffness, weakness, and poor circulation. In many cases, strategic movement is far more helpful than immobilization.
  2. Pain doesn’t always mean damage.
    This is one of the most misunderstood aspects of musculoskeletal pain. Just because something hurts doesn’t mean it’s permanently damaged – and just because an X-ray shows “bone-on-bone” doesn’t mean surgery is inevitable.
  3. The site of the pain isn’t always the source.
    Knees often hurt because of a problem elsewhere – such as limited hip mobility, poor ankle mechanics, or even an undiagnosed problem in your spine. That’s why a full-body movement assessment is key to figuring out what’s really going on.
  4. Most knee pain is preventable – and fixable.
    With the right combination of movement-based therapy, strength training, hands-on treatment, and regenerative therapy – many people are able to not just reduce their pain – but eliminate it entirely.

So what does all of this have to do with Father’s Day?

If you’re looking to give your dad something meaningful this year, consider giving him a nudge to take care of himself.

Not with another gadget or tie – but with a shift in mindset. One that reminds him that pain isn’t something he just has to live with. One that encourages curiosity about his health, and reinforces that aging doesn’t have to mean giving up the activities he loves.

Because the truth is – most dads don’t want to sit on the sidelines. They want to stay active, strong, and capable. They want to travel, hike, golf, chase their grandkids around the yard, and keep doing the things that make life fun. And they can – if they learn to listen to their bodies and get the right kind of help.

So if the dad in your life has everything… except for good knees… Maybe this is the year to give him something more lasting than another toolset or polo shirt. Maybe this is the year to give him the reminder that his health is worth paying attention to. And that it’s never too late to move better, feel better, and get his knees back.

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Why You Should Avoid a Cortisone Shot in Your Knee (And What to Do Instead)

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Knee pain can be debilitating, making simple tasks like walking, climbing stairs, or even standing up a painful experience.

For many, the quick fix seems to be a cortisone shot – an anti-inflammatory injection that offers temporary relief from knee pain. When injected into the knee, the cortisone (a type of steroid) targets the inflamed tissues and aims to reduce the symptoms of pain and swelling.

But there are significant risks and downsides to this approach to resolving knee pain that are often overlooked. Let’s take a look at why you should avoid a cortisone shot in your knee and what you can do instead…

The Problem with Cortisone Shots:

1. Temporary Relief, Not a Cure

Cortisone shots offer pain relief for a limited period, ranging from a few weeks to a few months. The problem? They don’t address the underlying cause of the knee pain. Instead, they mask the symptoms, allowing the root problem – whether it’s osteoarthritis, tendonitis, or a mechanical imbalance in the knee joint – to worsen over time. By numbing the pain, cortisone shots may allow you to continue harmful activities that could exacerbate your condition, leading to long-term damage.

2.  Potential for Joint Damage

Since the relief from cortisone shots is temporary – they are often repeated. And repeated cortisone injections can lead to cartilage degeneration and weaken the tendons and ligaments in your knee. Studies have shown that frequent cortisone use can accelerate the wear-and-tear process, potentially hastening the need for knee replacement surgery down the line. This is particularly alarming for active individuals who are hoping to preserve their knees for as long as possible so they can keep doing all the activities they love and enjoy.

3. Delayed Healing

Cortisone’s anti-inflammatory effects can actually interfere with the body’s natural healing processes. Inflammation, while uncomfortable, is an essential part of how the body repairs itself. Reducing inflammation with steroids (like cortisone) can disrupt tissue repair, meaning that any existing damage to your knee could take longer to heal. And when you mask your symptoms with cortisone – it makes this even harder to detect.

4. Risks of Infection and Other Side Effects

Like any injection, cortisone shots come with the risk of infection. Additionally, they may cause side effects such as increased blood sugar levels, skin thinning, or changes in pigmentation around the injection site. While these risks may seem minimal to some, they should be weighed carefully against the short-term benefits of temporary pain relief.

So… What Should You Do Instead?

I’m a huge fan of natural treatments whenever possible. And when it comes to knee pain, there are plenty of natural alternatives that not only promote healing , but address the root cause of your knee pain – allowing for more long-term relief instead of short-term.

1. Shockwave Therapy

Shockwave therapy is a non-invasive treatment that uses acoustic sound waves to stimulate the body’s natural healing processes. The waves create micro-traumas in the tissues surrounding your knee joint, which triggers increased blood flow and promotes tissue regeneration. Shockwave therapy has been shown to reduce pain, improve mobility, and even help with conditions like calcific tendonitis and knee osteoarthritis.

What’s especially beneficial about shockwave therapy is that it not only reduces pain but also works to heal the damaged tissues. Unlike cortisone shots, which only offer symptom relief and can even damage tissue, shockwave therapy targets the underlying problem, making it a great option for those looking to fix their knee pain for the long term.

2. Dry Needling

Dry needling is another natural treatment that can help alleviate knee pain by targeting trigger points in the muscles around the joint. This technique involves inserting thin needles in and around your knee joint to release tension and improve blood flow. By relieving muscle tightness, dry needling helps restore proper alignment and function in your knee joint, reducing pain and preventing further injury.

This approach works particularly well for those with knee pain caused by muscle imbalances, tendonitis, or chronic stiffness. Since dry needling promotes muscle relaxation and better circulation, it helps the knee heal from within, supporting long-term recovery.

3. Work with a Mechanical Knee Pain Specialist

A mechanical knee pain specialist is a healthcare professional trained to assess and diagnose the root cause of your knee pain through specialized movement analysis. Unlike traditional healthcare providers who may prescribe pain relief or general exercises without fully understanding the mechanics of your knee, mechanical pain specialists take a deep dive into how your body moves. By pinpointing issues such as improper joint alignment, muscle imbalances, or overuse patterns, they can design a customized treatment plan to address the root cause of your pain, versus just chasing symptoms.

The key benefit of working with a mechanical knee pain specialist is that they focus on the underlying biomechanics of your knee as well as surrounding joints/muscle groups that may be contributing to your pain. It’s a more holistic approach designed to restore normal function in your knee joint, alleviate pain, and teach you how to prevent future injuries as well.

While a cortisone shot is routinely recommended by medical doctors, and may offer quick relief, they don’t contribute to the healing process and can, in fact, cause long-term harm.

Opting for natural treatments like shockwave therapy, dry needling, or working with a mechanical knee pain specialist who can often integrate these treatments in with corrective, targeted exercises – has several advantages – and it’s much healthier for your knees. Most importantly, these natural approaches address the root cause of your knee pain rather than just masking it. 

If you’re suffering from knee pain, and need help finding reputable healthcare providers in your area who can offer these natural treatment alternatives with success and expertise – reach out – we can help direct you toward what to look for – and what to watch out for.

Are you local to Portsmouth, NH? If so, consider speaking to one of my specialists in a free Discovery Session. This 30-min session is a designed to: 1. Make sure we can help you 2. Make sure you’re a good fit for what we do 3. Make sure we’re a good fit for you

Dr. Carrie Jose, Physical Therapy Specialist, and Mechanical Knee Pain Expert, owns CJ Physical Therapy & Pilates in Portsmouth and writes for Seacoast Media Group. To get in touch – or request a seat in her upcoming Masterclass to end Knee Pain naturally – without pills, procedures, or surgery – CLICK HERE.

Holding Knee with Arthritis

Four Overlooked Reasons Your Knee Pain Won’t Go Away

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If you’re one of the many people out there suffering from chronic knee pain – and wondering why it won’t just go away – you’re not alone.

Most of the folks I speak with in this situation have been told it’s simply due to arthritis, old age, or general wear and tear – and there isn’t much that can be done about it. First of all, that’s not true. But second – one of the biggest reasons people are led to believe that there’s nothing that can be done about their chronic knee pain is because they’ve tried just about every treatment out there – and nothing has worked.

What’s the biggest culprit for that? Almost always – it’s misdiagnosis.  Meaning, something crucial was overlooked when it comes to the underlying reason for your knee pain (and structures in and around your knee joint get blamed instead).

Here are 5 of the most common overlooked reasons that can lead to misdiagnosis of your knee pain – causing it to linger and not go away:

1. You’re Focusing On Knee Strength Over Mobility

Focusing on knee strength and overlooking mobility is something I see far too often – and it’s a big reason knee pain lingers longer than it should.  Mobility refers to the joint’s ability to move through its full range of motion, which is crucial for proper alignment and injury prevention. Without sufficient mobility, strength exercises can place undue stress on the knee, leading to compensations and pain.

When it comes to mobility, it’s important to compare right and left knees, as well as look at “hypermobility” – because it all matters. You want to make sure you’re optimizing mobility according to the person, and not a “textbook” definition. By improving and optimizing mobility in your knee first, you ensure that your knee can move freely and efficiently, reducing the risk of strains or overuse injuries when you begin to load the joint with strength training.

2. The Real Culprit Could Be Your Back

Did you know that 25% of the time – pain in your knee can come from a source in your lower back – even when you don’t have any back pain? Pain that moves around your knee, is challenging to pinpoint, or aches into your thigh or lower leg are all signs that your knee pain could actually be a back problem. Specialized movement screening of your lower back should be required for anyone suffering from any kind of knee pain – but it’s not.

Precautionary low back screening by a mechanical pain expert is rarely done – and it’s one of the biggest reasons I see for knee pain misdiagnosis. When knee pain is coming from your back – and you miss it – people not only suffer from knee pain longer than they should – but they risk being prescribed unnecessary cortisone shots, procedures, and surgeries in knees that never even had a problem to begin with.

If your knee pain isn’t going away and especially if the pain moves around – consider your lower back.

3. Your Knees Are Compensating For Weak Core Muscles

Your core – made up of four major muscle groups (your abdominals, lower back muscles, glutes, and hip muscles) plays a critical role in stabilizing your body, supporting proper posture, and distributing weight evenly during movement. When any part of your core is weak or not functioning optimally, your body will compensate by placing excess strain on other areas, such as your knees. Workload that is normally better handled and supported by say – your hips and glutes – will be taken over by your knees.

The result is increased stress in your knee joints and surrounding structures – which can lead to pain, inflammation, and even injury over time. Additionally, when you lack adequate core strength, your body lacks the stability needed to control movements efficiently, which can be another factor in forcing your knees to work harder than they should. If you’ve got lingering knee problems and never looked at strengthening your core properly – get started now. This could be one of the overlooked factors leading to a misdiagnosis of your knee problem and subsequent chronic knee pain.

4. Stiff Ankles Are Putting Stress on Your Knees

We already talked about how important it is to focus on knee mobility. But it’s equally important to focus on the mobility of joints above and below your knees, namely, your ankles. Ankle stiffness can be due to a number of factors – such as footwear, poorly rehabilitated injuries (like chronic ankle sprains), and repetitive/overuse activities that involve heavy use of your feet, ankles, and calves.

When your ankles are stiff, especially during activities like running, squatting, or even walking – your knees will compensate.

The result may not be noticeable right away – but over time – this extra compensation can result in unwanted knee pain. And if you never identify that the cause might be stiff, overused ankles – then you’ll continue to blame the irritated structures of your knee joint instead. If your ankles always feel tight, or your lower legs get fatigued frequently during repetitive movements, this could be a sign that your lingering knee pain is the result of compensation for stiff ankles. Improving ankle mobility might be the missing solution to freeing up your knees.

Chronic knee pain does not have to be something you accept – and it certainly doesn’t require a cortisone shot, procedure, or surgery to fix it. Most knee pain (at least 80%) can be resolved naturally. But it starts with the correct diagnosis. If you’ve been suffering from knee pain for a long time and feel like you’ve already tried everything – consider one of these four overlooked reasons. And to be sure – visit a mechanical knee pain specialist who can check all of these things out and give you an accurate diagnosis of your lingering knee pain.

Are you a local to Portsmouth, NH?

If so, CLICK HERE to speak to one of my specialists. They can help you discover effective strategies to finally relieve your knee pain and get back to doing what you love!

Dr. Carrie Jose, Physical Therapy Specialist and Mechanical Knee Pain Expert, owns CJ Physical Therapy & Pilates in Portsmouth and writes for Seacoast Media Group. To get in touch – or request a seat in her upcoming Masterclass to end Knee Pain naturally – without pills, procedures, or surgery – CLICK HERE.