If your knee has ached for weeks and rest or medication hasn’t helped provide relief, know that surgery isn’t your only option. Most cases respond well to manual therapy and exercise, while surgery and pain injections are usually reserved for severe injuries.
Zaker Chiropractic treats knee pain in Torrance, Newport Beach, and San Pedro, offering on-site imaging and conservative care, including chiropractic and physiotherapy, to help you move better again without relying on surgical intervention.
Because your knee carries your entire body weight from your thighs upward, many different conditions can trigger similar symptoms. We categorize your pain into one of three categories to guide the right course of care for you.
Acute injuries occur suddenly, usually from a twist, fall, or direct blow. Common examples include:
Osteoarthritis is a common cause of knee pain. Since cartilage wears down gradually, discomfort often develops without a specific injury and may become chronic. Other medical conditions can cause knee pain, such as:
Repeated running, jumping, or kneeling, especially during sports, can irritate knee tissues over time. Specific injuries include:
Where knee pain occurs can hint at its cause. That said, only an in‑person evaluation can confirm it, so use the table below as a guide rather than a diagnosis.
| Where/When It Hurts | What Makes It Worse | What It May Indicate |
|---|---|---|
| Front | Climbing stairs, squatting, kneeling | Runner’s knee, tendonitis, bursitis |
| Inner Side | Twisting, pivoting | Medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprain, meniscus tear, osteoarthritis |
| Outer Side | Running, walking downhill | IT band syndrome, lateral collateral ligament (LCL) sprain |
| Back | Fully bending, straightening | Baker’s cyst, hamstring irritation |
| At Rest | Inactivity, sleep | Arthritis flare-up, gout |
Several conditions often share overlapping symptoms, which is why we perform comprehensive evaluations and on-site imaging when indicated to clarify the source of pain.
In many cases, conservative care can reduce pain and improve function, especially when discomfort stems from muscular imbalances, joint restrictions, or inflammation. Effective care often includes:
However, conservative care can’t repair a fully torn ligament or advanced arthritis. In such cases, you may need surgical evaluation, depending on your orthopedist.
Your knees are located between two rotating joints: the hips and ankles. As such, when your hips lack stability or your ankles lose mobility, the knees often compensate.
Common patterns include:
These patterns often explain why previous knee pain treatments didn’t last, which is why our knee evaluations include gait assessments. We also address hips, ankles, and the lower back when they contribute to your condition.
We deliver nonsurgical treatments designed to provide lasting relief from knee pain. Keep in mind, these modalities are nonsurgical, so they’re an excellent alternative to knee surgery for mild-to-moderate cases.
Stronger muscles give your joints better support, reducing pressure on irritated tissue. Our physiotherapy programs include exercises for the quadriceps, hamstrings, and hips, progressing as your knees strengthen.
Physiotherapy is especially valuable for arthritis management. The Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center notes that physical activity can help keep tissues strong, decrease bone loss, and support swelling and pain control.
When your knees stop moving freely, surrounding muscles and joints work harder to compensate. Our knee pain chiropractors use gentle adjustments and joint mobilization to help restore your mobility and ease strain on your knees, hips, and ankles.
Shockwave therapy delivers acoustic waves to damaged soft tissue, which may stimulate circulation and support the body’s healing response. We use it to help address lingering soft‑tissue pain and inflammation.
Below is how a typical nonsurgical treatment plan for knee pain goes at our clinics in Torrance, Newport Beach, and San Pedro.
We use X-rays to assess degenerative bone changes and fractures, while neuromuscular ultrasound allows us to examine your soft tissues. If we suspect nerve involvement, electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) testing may be used.
We reduce pain and inflammation with massage, chiropractic adjustments, and decompression therapy. For joints too painful to treat conventionally, spinal manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) may be an option to consider.
Once your pain settles, we may recommend physiotherapy to help strengthen your quadriceps, hamstrings, and hip muscles.
Our supervised strengthening program prepares you to resume activities. Meanwhile, gait retraining addresses your movement patterns to lower the risk of reinjury.
Zaker Chiropractic accepts most major insurance plans for chiropractic care and physiotherapy, along with cash-pay options. At Newport Pain & Wellness, our team also provides injury care and claims assistance for injured federal workers.
Each of our convenient clinic locations offers the same comprehensive approach to knee pain care, so you can choose the office that is most convenient for you.
Knee pain can stem from various causes, and the most effective care depends on identifying the cause. Skip the guesswork; Zaker Chiropractic provides on-site diagnostics to help pinpoint the reason behind your discomfort. From there, we provide personalized, nonsurgical treatments for knee pain designed to help you move more freely and comfortably.
Schedule a consultation with our team today.
