Tag Archive for: weak core

Why Your Knee Pain Isn’t Going Away – And What You Might Be Missing

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Knee pain can be stubborn. If you’ve tried stretching, strengthening, injections, or even surgery with little to no relief – it might be time to consider looking beyond your knee. Many people are told their pain is due to “wear and tear,” arthritis, or simply aging. But here’s the thing… There are plenty of people out there with these very same conditions who have no knee pain at all.

So, what gives?

It turns out that knee pain isn’t always a knee problem.

If you’re still dealing with persistent discomfort despite following every piece of conventional advice, one of these four lesser-known culprits might be the real reason behind your lingering knee pain.

1. It’s Not Your Knee—It’s Your Back

Did you know that nearly 40% of extremity pain actually originates from the spine – even if you don’t have back pain? The nerves that control your knee function start in your lower back. If they’re irritated, compressed, or not functioning properly, your knee could suffer the consequences.

A key sign that your knee pain is actually coming from your back is if your pain moves around, travels up or down your leg, or worsens when you sit for long periods. If your knee treatments aren’t working, it’s worth investigating whether your back is the real issue by talking to a mechanical back pain specialist.

2. Your Core is Weaker Than You Think

When people hear “core strength,” they usually think about back pain or six-pack abs – but your core plays a massive role in knee health, too. Your core, hips, and glutes work together to stabilize your lower body. If these muscles are weak, your knees pick up the slack, leading to unnecessary strain and chronic discomfort.

Signs of a weak core affecting your knees include feeling unstable on one leg, difficulty maintaining good posture, or knee pain that worsens after prolonged activity. The solution? Strengthening your core and hips can take the pressure off your knees and keep them moving the way they should.

3. Your Ankles Might Be the Problem

Your ankles act as the foundation for your entire lower body. If they lack mobility or stability – your knees will compensate – leading to stiffness, pain, and dysfunction. Poor ankle mobility can make everyday movements like walking, running, and squatting much harder on your knees.

If you struggle with ankle flexibility or feel unsteady during activities like hiking, running, or sports – your knee pain may actually stem from weak or restricted ankles. Addressing ankle stability and mobility could be the missing link to finally getting relief.

4. Your Knee Isn’t Moving the Way It Should

One of the most overlooked aspects of knee pain is mobility. There might actually be nothing at all wrong with your knee – but if it doesn’t move as well as it should – structures within and around your knee joint will slowly start to get irritated. Most rehab programs focus on bending the knee – but proper knee function also requires slight hyperextension – and this is where I see a lot of problems for people. If your knee stops at “just straight,” it may still be restricted, causing long-term dysfunction and discomfort.

Pro-tip: This is especially common after surgery, where full mobility isn’t always restored. If one knee doesn’t move like the other, it’s time to work with a mechanical knee pain specialist who can prescribe corrective movements to help you regain that lost range of motion.

What to Do Next

If you’ve been dealing with knee pain that just won’t go away – there’s a good chance you either have the wrong diagnosis – or the wrong treatment plan. You may need to stop focusing on the knee and start to look elsewhere in your body. The real problem might be coming from your back, core, ankles, or mobility restrictions somewhere leading to secondary stress on your knee joint.

A mechanical pain specialist who understands the bigger picture can help pinpoint the true cause of your pain and create a plan that actually works to finally get your knee pain resolved.

Are you local to Portsmouth, NH?

Consider speaking to one of my mechanical knee pain specialists by clicking HERE.

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.

Why Strengthening your Core Won’t Cure your Back Pain

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As a back pain expert, I talk to folks numerous times per day about the best things they can do to get rid of their back pain. The most common topic that comes up? Core Strengthening. Everyone wants to learn how to strengthen their core properly and more effectively – in hopes that it will put an end to their back pain.

Unfortunately, getting rid of back pain is not as simple as strengthening your core.

I wish it was. Don’t get me wrong – strengthening your core does have its role in both helping and preventing back pain – but core strengthening alone is rarely enough. In fact, sometimes, it can even make your back pain worse, especially if introduced too soon

So why isn’t core strengthening enough? Even when your Medical Doctor, Google, and YouTube all seem to allude that it should be?

Because 80% of the time, your back pain is due to something we call “mechanical” – meaning the source is way underneath all of those core muscles. While strengthening your core muscles will often make you feel better, and may even temporarily relieve your back pain, strengthening your core muscles will never address the mechanical problem underneath. And it will continue to rear its ugly head until it’s finally resolved.

So how do you solve mechanical low back pain so that core strengthening can actually do its job?

First… Let’s talk about what mechanical low back pain is… and isn’t.

Mechanical low back pain is caused by poor postural habits and repetitive movements and stress that occur slowly over time – and eventually lead to movement dysfunction within the spine. It arises from things like having a job where you sit for 8 hours a day, 5 days per week. Perhaps you’re a new mom and are constantly bending over to care for your new baby. You love to garden, or you’re an avid golfer, and have been doing these things for years. All of these “lifestyle” habits and requirements can be responsible for mechanical low back pain.

But what back pain is often blamed on are structures. Things like herniated or bulging discs, arthritis, stenosis, and pinched nerves. What you have to understand is that most of these ailments occur normally as you age. The majority of the population over the age of 50 will have one or more of these “abnormalities” show up on an MRI – even when they don’t have any back pain. But when you’ve got a mechanical back pain problem – one where your spine isn’t moving as well or as normally as it should – these structures become susceptible for irritation. So yes, the structures cause the pain, but the underlying mechanical problem is what’s responsible for irritating the structures.

If you’re confused – I don’t blame you. All you need to understand is that strengthening muscles of any kind – including your core muscles – will not resolve a mechanical back pain problem. You have to address the mechanical “fault” with very specialized and corrective movements that are prescribed to you. They aren’t cookie-cutter and you can’t find them on YouTube.

So when should you focus on strengthening your core?

After the mechanical back problem is identified and resolved. You’ll need to work with a mechanical back pain specialist to do this. But once you do – core strengthening plays a critical role in keeping you strong, healthy, and balanced. A good core strengthening regimen helps you prevent the mechanical back problem from coming back.

Moral of this story – if you’ve been at core strengthening for awhile now and disappointed that it hasn’t yet “cured” your back pain – then you must consider that you’re in the 80% and have a mechanical back pain problem. Fix what’s underneath first – and then strengthen away.

Dr. Carrie Jose, Physical Therapy Specialist and Mechanical Back Pain expert, owns CJ Physical Therapy & Pilates in Portsmouth and writes for Seacoast Media Group. To get in touch – or reserve a seat in her upcoming Masterclass for Back Pain & Sciatica Sufferers – click here.