Knee Pain

Are Tight Hamstrings and Knee Pain Connected?

The single most consistent complaint I hear from my patients who come to see me for knee arthritis or low back pain is that they have tight hamstrings. This creates the obvious question…Are tight hamstrings and knee pain related? I’ve blogged a number of times on the connections between mild low back nerve irritation (that…read more

Are Squats Supposed to Hurt your Knees?

Are squats supposed to hurt your knees? I was in an exercise class yesterday and my left knee was hurting a bit while doing squats. Thankfully, I was able to correct the muscle activation sequence and my knee stopped hurting. But given the fact that squats are a mainstay of every cross fit or exercise class, learning how…read more

ITB Release Surgery – What Orthopedic Surgeons Won’t Tell You

Tight ITBs (iliotibial bands) are a cottage industry now. There are many cool devices designed to loosen up your ITB and a trip to any local gym will always turn up a few individuals aggressively stretching this area. When these efforts fail to produce results, some people turn to ITB release surgery. And while ITB release surgery may seem like…read more

Knee and Back Pain and Sleep Problems…

Unlike the days when life was simpler and we slept soundly awakened by the sun, many things contribute to our modern epidemic of poor sleep. That said, I think most of us can agree that pain makes sleep very difficult. Given what the vast majority of our patients present with, this study on knee and back pain and sleep caught my…read more

Can You Treat a Meniscus Tear Without Surgery?

The research support on using surgery to treat meniscus tears is collapsing. Study after study shows that this common surgery doesn’t work and likely sets patients up for more problems down the road. However, there’s one type of meniscus tear that has been thought to always require surgery – a flipped bucket handle tear. This type…read more

Why are We still Injecting Steroids into Knees and Spines?

Steroid anti-inflammatories are powerful drugs at suppressing swelling. They are very commonly injected into joints that have arthritis and they generally work for a few weeks to months to relieve pain. However, is this a good idea? Many recent studies would argue that this is a really bad practice that should be stopped. There are…read more

Foot Arch Knee Pain? Research Links Your Foot Navicular Bone Position to Your Knee

Can you have foot arch knee pain? Yesterday I watched the inaugural Boulder Iron man Race. As the runners filed by, I couldn’t help but notice their gait. In some, according to a new study, not paying attention to a little bone in their feet may be frying the cartilage in their knees. First, as…read more

Ankle Sprain Knee Pain? The Ankle Bone’s Connected to the Knee Bone…

What if you have ankle sprain knee pain? More precisely, what if you have an ankle injury and later develop knee pain; are they connected? Will your doctor connect the dots? Regrettably, my medical doctor brethren are generally horrible at thinking bio mechanically. A 37 year old personal trainer I just saw in clinic is…read more