Joint Pain Articles

The Relationship of the Hip, the Low Back, and Knee

The hip is unlike any other joint. It is a ball-and-socket joint that is made up of the femoral head (the “ball”) and the acetabulum (the “socket”). The hip is surrounded by some of the strongest muscles and ligaments in the body. The hips are affected by the feet and

Do Labral Tears Cause Hip Pain

One of the structures that get the blame for hip pain is the labrum. The labrum is the rubbery tissue that surrounds the socket helping to stabilize the hip joint. This tissue often wears and tears with age. It can also be torn as a result of a trauma or

Hip Pain and Iliotibial Band Syndrome

WHAT IS IT? Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) is one of the most common causes of hip and/or knee pain among athletes. The pain occurs from swelling or inflammation of a muscle group. This includes the tensor fascia lata or TFL, gluteus medius, and minimus muscles. The tendons attach muscles to the

The Origin of Knee Pain – The Medial Compartment

The four compartments of the knee (anterior/front, medial/inside, posterior/back, and lateral/outside) are like dominos. Meaning, when an injury occurs, the others “start to fall.” This is due to compensatory changes in function. When one compartment is problematic, this places added strain or stress on other compartments. Hence, managing knee conditions

The Knee Cap and Knee Pain

The knee can be divided into four compartments—the front, inside, back, and outside—which intimately interact with each other. The compartment located in the front of the knee includes the knee cap (or patella) the groove in which it slides in, and the muscles that attach to the patella. The patella

Exercises for Hip Pain

There are two types of muscles that help facilitate motion in our hips and lower extremities: tonic and phasic. Tonic (postural) muscles are always working or contracting to keep us upright. Therefore, these muscles tend to be tight and short. When we sleep, they contract or shorten and are taut upon

Chronic Pelvic Pain in Men

For men, the definition of chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) is the ongoing or repetitive pain episodes in the pelvic region. It’s in the absence of urinary tract infection or other relevant pathology, such as prostatitis. Since the condition is complex and satisfactory, results seldom occur from just one form

Common Hip Injuries

Hip pain is a very common cause of lost time in sports. It can also interfere with one’s daily activities—including work! So, what are some of the more common injuries of the hip? MUSCLE STRAINS This is probably the most common injury to the hip and groin because of the

Shoulder Pain – What Are My Treatment Options?

The shoulder is not just one joint but rather four joints. The sternoclavicular (collar bone/breast bone), acromioclavicular (the “roof” of the ball & socket joint), glenohumeral (the ball & socket joint), and scapulothoracic joints (shoulder blade/rib cage joint). There are also many structures in the vicinity that can mimic shoulder

What Can Be Done for Kneecap Pain?

Patellofemoral (PF) pain is a pain in the area of the knee cap and a very common problem. Especially in women because they naturally have a wider pelvis. A wider pelvis can cause a “knock-knee” effect. This can be exacerbated by flat feet and ankle pronation (rolling in at the