Three causes of pain behind the knee when walking

Pain Behind Knee When Walking

Our ability to walk is a minor miracle that requires many parts of our bodies to work closely together. One of these parts is our knee joints. However, many people don’t give walking a second thought unless they start having issues like pain behind the knee when walking. 

Knee pain is something that far too many Americans are familiar with. Medical research shows that 25% of U.S. adults experience frequent knee pain. Feeling pain behind your knee when walking can make your daily life much more difficult, but physical therapists can help you figure out what’s causing your pain. Additionally, they can assist you by effectively treating your knee pain. 

Pain behind the knee when walking can come from these three causes: 

  1. Ligament injuries — Pain behind the knee when walking can also be called posterior knee pain. One issue that can cause this type of pain is a ligament injury. There are four ligaments that help hold your thighbone and shinbone together. Of these, injuries to the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) are the most likely to trigger posterior knee pain. 
  1. Sciatica — This condition is often a source of lower back pain. Yet the sciatic nerve runs all the way down the back of your legs as well, This means that sciatica can trigger pain that runs down your leg, including behind your knee. The pinching that causes this pain can occur at any point along the sciatic nerve, including where the nerve runs near the knee joint. 
  1. Knee osteoarthritis — Osteoarthritis involves the natural degeneration of cartilage and other structures in a joint. A structure that can degenerate in your knee joint is the meniscus, and damage to the posterior part of the meniscus can trigger posterior knee pain. 

How can physical therapists treat posterior knee pain?

There are many ways a physical therapist can treat pain behind your knee when walking. Some of the most commonly used therapy techniques for this type of pain include: 

  • Joint mobilization intended to improve flexibility and range of motion in your aching knee joint. 
  • Therapeutic exercises that focus on stretching and strengthening muscles in the thigh and calves that support the knee. 

SSOR offers effective treatment for knee pain

Tired of living with pain behind your knee when walking? Our Specialists in Sports and Orthopedic Rehabilitation team is keen to help you find ways to treat your knee pain. Determining the cause of your pain is something we can do during a free screening. In addition, our physical therapists excel at building individualized therapy plans designed to reduce your pain. You can even sign up for virtual therapy or at-home care sessions that allow you to treat your pain without leaving home. 

Contact us today for more information about our knee pain treatment services or to schedule an initial appointment to begin addressing your pain.