Due to hurricane damage, the Havelock location is closed until further notice. Havelock therapists Hannah Zhang, Sarah Hall and Judy Hickes are available to see patients at the New Bern location. Please call the New Bern location at (252) 636-9800 to discuss your care.

Three tips for treating kneecap pain when bending the knee

Kneecap Pain When Bending Knee

Bending your knee is likely one of the most common activities you do every day. It happens when you walk. It happens when you sit down or stand up, and this movement occurs when you walk up stairs. In fact, this movement is so common that it can easily become repetitive, and it’s possible that doing repetitive knee bending can lead to pain behind or around the kneecap. If you’re dealing with this type of pain, here are three tips that can help you treat your pain: 

  1. Decrease repetitive movements

The best tip for treating kneecap pain from bending the knee is to take a break from repetitive knee movements. Repetitive movement of this joint is common in sports that involve running, but it could also come from bending or kneeling movements you do at work. Taking a break from repetitive knee movements could involve substituting a walk for more intense exercises like running, taking a few days off work or restricting yourself to work tasks that require less knee movement. 

  1. Strengthen knee muscles

Muscles in your legs allow the knee to bend, and they also provide your knee with much of its support. If these muscles have become weak, this could be the reason you’re feeling kneecap pain when bending your knee. Starting a program of stretches and strengthening exercises can help decrease your pain, because stretching can help reduce tension in the knee muscles, and reduced tension can lead to better knee alignment and less pain when bending your knee. Strengthening exercises are intended to treat your pain by increasing the support that knee muscles are providing to this joint. Your doctor might be able to help you find exercises that can help with your pain, but he or she might also recommend that you go to a physical therapist. 

  1. Participate in physical therapy

Physical therapy can be very useful if your kneecap is in pain when your knee bends. Physical therapy specialists can help you figure out how much rest could benefit your knee. They can also show you how to do therapeutic exercises, which can help you regain strength and range of motion in your knee. 

If these benefits sound good to you, you can find them at Peak Performance. Our clinics offer free screenings, and this service can help you find out the source of your knee pain. We also build personalized treatment plans for our patients, and the plan we build for you can include beneficial therapy methods such as: 

Take the next step to start getting our help with your knee pain. Contact us today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.