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Hip & Knee Pain
Hip and knee pain are often interconnected conditions. They can occur independently or together due to the close functional relationship between these joints within the kinetic chain of your lower body.
What Causes Hip Pain?
Hip pain typically comes from the ball-and-socket joint where your thigh bone (femur) meets your pelvis. You might feel a deep ache in your groin, sharp pain with certain movements like getting up from sitting or climbing stairs, or stiffness that limits how you can bend or rotate your leg. Sometimes, the pain can even travel down your thigh or into your lower back and buttocks.
Common causes of hip pain
Osteoarthritis: This involves the wear and tear of the joint cartilage, leading to pain and stiffness.
Muscle strains or imbalances: Issues affecting muscles like your hip flexors, glutes, or deep rotator muscles can contribute significantly to discomfort.
Bursitis: Inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs that cushion the joint can cause localised pain.
Biomechanical issues: Problems related to poor posture, leg length differences, or compensatory movement patterns throughout your body can place undue stress on the hip.
Knee Pain?
Knee pain commonly affects the largest joint in your body, which relies on complex interactions between bones, cartilage, ligaments, and muscles for stability and movement. Pain can present around the kneecap, deep within the joint, or along the sides, often aggravated by activities like walking, climbing stairs, squatting, or prolonged sitting.
Common Causes of Knee Pain Include:
Knee discomfort can stem from a variety of sources, impacting your mobility and daily activities. Here are some frequent culprits:
Ligament injuries (e.g., ACL, MCL tears) often from sports or trauma.
Meniscus tears, which occur when the cartilage in the knee is damaged.
Tendonitis, usually from overuse or repetitive strain (e.g., jumper's knee).
Osteoarthritis, due to wear and tear of the knee joint over time.
Patellofemoral pain syndrome, often linked to tracking issues of the kneecap.
Bursitis, inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs that cushion the knee.
Muscle imbalances or poor biomechanics, which can place uneven stress on the joint.
Referred pain from the hip or lower back.
The Hip-Knee Connection
Hip dysfunction often contributes to knee pain because weakness or tightness in your hip muscles can alter the alignment and tracking of your leg during movement, placing abnormal stress on your knee joint. Conversely, knee problems can also cause compensatory changes in hip movement that lead to secondary hip pain.
This interconnected relationship means that effective treatment often requires addressing both joints simultaneously. We'll examine factors like muscle imbalances between your quadriceps and hamstrings, hip weakness affecting your ability to control leg alignment, foot and ankle problems that influence how forces travel up through your leg, and movement patterns during daily activities that may be contributing to the pain cycle.
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