The Treatment of Knee Pain with Sports Medicine Acupuncture®

Sports Medicine Acupuncture® is great for knee pain because we have advanced diagnostic and screening tools that allow us to see the whole picture, examine how the body moves together, and treat all of the structures above and below the knee to restore proper movement patterns.

In addition, our remedies can help reduce  pain and inflammation in the areas surrounding the knee. When proper movement is restored, injuries stop becoming exacerbated and are given a chance to heal completely.

What causes chronic or acute knee pain?

Like all injuries, knee pain falls into two major categories: chronic and acute. Chronic knee pain is typically caused by postural misalignment over a long period of time which leads to improper movement patterns of the muscles above and below the knee joint. These maladaptive movement patterns eventually lead to uneven wear and tear of the structures inside and around the knee. 

Acute knee pain is almost always caused by an impact injury or the occasional spontaneous ligament rupture. Sports Medicine Acupuncture® can treat both chronic knee pain and acute knee pain. Our practitioners have years of experience treating and rehabilitating both types of knee injuries.

Common knee injuries treated by Sports Medicine Acupuncture®

We have seen and treated it all when it comes to knee injuries. I had a patient come in right after an ugly slide into second base while playing softball, which lead to a nasty ligament sprain. Her knee was swollen like a grapefruit. After needling, there wasn’t much else I could do besides tape an anti-inflammatory herbal poultice to her knee. The next morning she told me she woke up and the swelling was almost 100% gone. 

1. Patellofemoral Syndrome and Chondromalacia

We see a lot of patellofemoral syndrome leading to chondromalacia. Patello-femoral syndrome is an imbalance of the lateral and medial quad muscles (VMO and VLO) which cause the patella (knee cap) to stop sliding correctly in the groove of the femoral condyles. Over time, this leads to breakdown in the cartilage and bone around the patellofemoral joint causing chronic inflammation, general achiness, and sharp stabbing pains when walking up and down stairs.

2. Meniscus Tear

If a meniscus tear is small enough, and located in a part of the meniscus that gets better blood supply, I’ve seen them heal up to 100% with the patient returning to running marathons pain free. 

3. IT-Band Friction Syndrome

IT-Band friction syndrome is probably more appropriately labeled a dysfunction of the hip, but the pain manifests on the lateral aspect of the knee and it’s another common injury we see regularly.

4. Patellar Tendinitis

Patellar tendinitis is caused by tight quads pulling on the patellar tendon. This injury is easily identifiable with a positive Thomas test indicating contractures (shortness) of the rectus femoris muscle. This condition responds really well to a combination of Sports Medicine Acupuncture® style needling, which is able to reset those tight muscles, and soft tissue release or sliding cups of the rec fem, which are able to break up tight fascial adhesions.

5. Bursitis

Bursa are small fluid filled sacs that provide cushioning and lubrication to the various structures in and around joints. When bursa become inflamed they can swell up, causing constant dull achiness and sharp pain when pressure is applied to them. Bursitis in and around the knee responds very well to acupuncture, which works on prostaglandins to decrease inflammation in the local tissue.

A photo of a very basic knee treatment with Sports Medicine Acupuncture®. Here we’ve needled the motor points of the Vastus Medialis, Vastus Lateralis, the space between the patellofemoral joint and the femorotibial joint, and the tibialis anterior.

Consider San Diego Sports Acupuncture for the treatment of your knee pain

We have helped dozens of people avoid surgery to their knee and return to their sport or hobby of choice. Schedule your appointment online now and let our licensed and Sports Medicine Acupuncture® Certified experts help you.