Knee Pain Is Not Just a Running Problem — Here's What's Actually Causing Yours

Knee pain is one of the most common complaints we see at Stance — and one of the most commonly mismanaged. Rest and anti-inflammatories may quiet the pain temporarily, but if the underlying driver isn't addressed, the pain returns. Often stronger.

The Knee Is a Hinge Caught Between Two Joints

The knee has relatively limited mobility — it bends and extends. What it doesn't do well is tolerate rotational or valgus (inward collapse) stress. Those forces typically come from above (stiff hip, weak glutes) or below (limited ankle dorsiflexion, overpronation). When either end is dysfunctional, the knee bears the cost.

Hip Weakness and Knee Pain

Weak hip abductors — glute medius in particular — allow the femur to internally rotate and adduct during single-leg loading. This creates a valgus moment at the knee, compressing the lateral structures and overloading the patellofemoral joint. Strengthening the hip often resolves anterior knee pain without touching the knee itself.

Ankle Stiffness and Knee Pain

When the ankle can't dorsiflex enough (less than 10–15° during weight-bearing), the body compensates by collapsing the foot arch and rotating the tibia inward — both of which translate stress to the knee. Assessing ankle mobility is a standard part of any knee examination at Stance.

What We Do Differently

Rather than treating the knee in isolation, our assessment maps the whole kinetic chain. We screen hip strength, ankle mobility, foot mechanics, and movement quality under load. Treatment follows the findings — which means addressing the root cause, not just the loudest symptom.