If you lead a physically active lifestyle, you are bound to have a some aches and pains from time to time. Most exercise-related pain resolves itself with rest, but persistent pain that lingers beyond a few days may indicate an injury that should not be ignored.
Posterior knee pain is often seen in runners and other athletes, and it may originate from a variety of causes. In many cases, back-of-knee pain while running is cause by inefficient running gait. Pain while running is not normal, and ignoring it can lead to more pain and injury down the road.
Sports and exercise are common causes of knee pain in people of all ages. Repetitive use injuries occur when your body does not have time to recover and heal between activity bouts. Acute trauma from impact with another athlete or a simple error in skills execution can also cause knee pain.
Runners are particularly prone to knee injuries due to repetitive impact that overloads the knee joints. Athletes in sports that require rapid directional changes like soccer, tennis and basketball also have a high incidence of knee injuries.
Following are four common causes of posterior knee pain, and recommendations for treatment:
Medical history and clinical exam are standard procedures for knee pain, along with assessments that test for strength, stability and range of motion. Imaging may be recommended if the clinical exam warrants it.
At NYDNRehab, we use high-resolution diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasonography (MSUS) to visualize the structures surrounding the knee. Ultrasound lets us see muscles, connective tissues, joints and nerves in real time, with the patient in motion, for a fast and accurate diagnosis.
Diagnostic MSUS also enables us to conduct sonoelastography and superior microvascular imaging, to evaluate the progress of tissue healing.
Explore more advanced diagnostic tools available only at NYDNRehab:
Knee pain and dysfunction cannot be effectively resolved using only subjective clinical analysis. Without objective quantifiable data, physical therapy often addresses the symptoms without resolving the underlying cause.
At NYDNRehab, our groundbreaking motion analysis technology and high resolution diagnostic ultrasonography have enabled us to develop a battery of tests that perfectly reveal the dynamic functional pathology of the knee joint.
The state-of-the-art human movement lab at NYDNRehab has a growing array of high-tech tools for knee injury rehabilitation and return to sport. In addition to rehabilitating muscles and healing damaged tissues, our sports medicine team emphasizes brain retraining, to restore neuromotor pathways that have been disrupted by injury.
Some of our favorite treatment technologies include:
Other corrective therapies include:
ACL stability testing and training
3D SEBT ( star excursion banner test) for assessing the involvement of the knee joint and musculature in postural stability
3D gait or running analysis
3D kinematic joint angle analysis during a squat, lunge, drop jump and pelvic-on-hip rotation
Neuromotor brain-muscle testing with DD Robotech for:
KINEO Intelligent load muscle strength assessment
Rehabilitative ultrasonography of intrinsic knee stabilizing muscle activation
Surface electromyography (SEMG) can be added to any of the above tests when needed.
Based on our experience and on evidence-based information, we believe that physical therapy and rehabilitation should be based on objective quantifiable data.
At NYDNR, we are always learning and adding the latest therapies and high-tech tools to our growing menu of treatment options. We are the most advanced private rehab and therapy clinic in the United States, featuring equipment rarely seen outside research settings.