You might think that pain tends to stick to one part of the body. However, pain only tends to begin at one point, and from there it can radiate into other areas of the body. This may be why you’re feeling pain from your hip all the way to your knee. 

A combination of hip and knee pain is a common issue, and one study reports that more than 11% of the patients surveyed experienced both types of pain. Feeling pain that runs from your hip to your knee can be caused by many different issues. Treating your pain properly requires that the source of your pain is correctly identified. Physical therapists can help identify the source of your pain. In addition, these specialists can help treat the pain running from your hip to your knee. 

Common sources of pain from the hip to the knee

Treating musculoskeletal disorders is what physical therapists are trained to do, and this includes helping you address issues that cause pain from the hip to the knee. A few common musculoskeletal issues that can trigger this type of pain include: 

1. Osteoarthritis — This condition occurs when either the hip or the knee joint wears out as you age. Osteoarthritis in either joint can cause pain to appear in other parts of the leg. 

2. Muscle injuries — There are many muscles that run from the hip to the knee. For instance, injuries to the quadriceps muscles can cause pain in the top and sides of your thigh. Injured hamstrings can trigger pain all along the back of your thigh. 

3. Iliotibial (IT) band issues — The IT band is a long strand of fibrous connective tissue that runs from the buttocks and hip down to the knee. Damage or dysfunction in the IT band can lead to pain anywhere in this area. 

How can physical therapy help treat your pain? 

After determining the cause of your pain, physical therapists can help treat it. They have many therapy methods that they can use to do so, and some of the techniques your therapist may use to treat hip to knee pain are: 

• Therapeutic exercises
• Soft tissue mobilization
• Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM)
• Joint mobilization
• Dry needling 
• Cupping

Continuum Wellness offers treatment for hip pain, knee pain and everything in between

Feeling pain that runs from your hip to your knee? Our physical therapists at Continuum Wellness are primed to help you address your pain. We offer free screenings that can pinpoint the root cause of your pain. Furthermore, our specialists excel at building unique therapy plans designed to decrease pain and prevent it from returning. Even better, we can help treat your pain from the comfort of your own home thanks to our virtual therapy and at-home care services.

Contact our team today for more information about our hip and knee pain treatment options or to schedule an initial appointment.