5 Common Causes of Knee Pain (and what you can do about it!)

Knee pain can sneak up on you—whether it’s a dull ache during your morning run or a sharp pinch getting out of the car. At Kinetix, we help people of all ages and activity levels figure out what’s going on and, more importantly, how to fix it.

Here are the top 5 causes of knee pain we see in the clinic—and what you can do about each one:

1. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (“Runner’s Knee”)

This is one of the most common causes of knee pain in active adults and teens. It usually presents as pain around or behind the kneecap, especially when going up stairs, squatting, or sitting for long periods.

Common causes:

• Muscle imbalances or tightness

• Poor movement mechanics

• Overuse or training errors

How we treat it at Kinetix:

We focus on improving the way your body moves and distributes force through your knees. This often includes:

• Hip and core strengthening to reduce stress on the knee during walking, running, and stairs

• Quad activation exercises to support kneecap tracking

• Manual therapy to improve tissue mobility around the knee and thigh

• Gait and movement retraining to address poor alignment or technique (e.g., knees collapsing inward when squatting or running)

• Taping or orthotics when appropriate to provide short-term relief while we address the underlying issues

2. Meniscus Tears

The meniscus is a cartilage “shock absorber” in your knee. Tears can occur from sports injuries or simple wear and tear over time.

Common symptoms:

• Pain with twisting or deep bending

• Clicking or catching in the knee

• Swelling after activity

What we do:

If you’re not a surgical candidate (and most aren’t), research supports PT as a first-line treatment. We’ll tailor a program based on your symptoms and goals:

• Joint stability and strength training, especially of the quadriceps, hamstrings, and hips

• Neuromuscular training to improve balance, coordination, and proprioception

• Activity modifications (like reducing deep squatting or twisting motions during the healing phase)

• Manual therapy to reduce swelling and improve joint mobility

• For athletes or active adults, we gradually reintroduce sport-specific drills as symptoms allow

3. Knee Osteoarthritis

Arthritis doesn’t have to mean the end of activity. Many people with knee arthritis live pain-free lives with the right care.

Common signs:

• Stiffness in the morning or after sitting

• Achy pain during or after activity

• Reduced range of motion

Our approach: Arthritis responds incredibly well to movement when done correctly. We focus on:

• Strengthening surrounding muscles (glutes, quads, calves) to reduce load on the joint

• Low-impact functional movements to keep you active without flaring up symptoms (e.g., biking, water-based exercise, progressive strength training)

• Joint mobilizations and stretching to reduce stiffness and improve range of motion

• Education on pacing and activity modification to help you stay active without overdoing it

• Assistive devices (like compression sleeves or walking poles) may be recommended temporarily as needed

4. Tendonitis (Jumper’s Knee)

This overuse injury causes pain in the patellar tendon, just below the kneecap. It’s common in sports with lots of jumping or sprinting (think basketball, volleyball, or track).

You might notice:

• Pain during or after activity

• Tenderness to touch

• Stiffness that improves with warm-up

Treatment at Kinetix:

Tendons don’t heal from rest alone—they need the right kind of load at the right time. At Kinetix, we guide you through:

• Isometric exercises early on to reduce pain and gently load the tendon (e.g., wall sits, Spanish squats)

• Heavy slow resistance training to build tendon capacity and durability

• Eccentric loading to help remodel the tendon and reduce symptoms

• Jumping and landing mechanics training to fix faulty movement patterns

• Gradual return to sport progression once strength and load tolerance improve

5. IT Band Syndrome

Often mistaken for knee joint pain, this condition causes pain on the outside of the knee and is common in runners and cyclists.

Typical causes:

• Weak glutes or hips

• Poor running mechanics

• Sudden increase in mileage or intensity

What helps: Despite popular belief, you can’t really “stretch out” the IT band—but you can address the causes behind the tension. We help by:

• Strengthening the hip abductors and glutes, which often reduce excessive side-to-side movement that stresses the IT band

• Manual therapy for the lateral hip and thigh (targeting TFL, glutes, and quads)

• Gait and running form analysis to reduce excessive hip adduction or overstriding

• Progressive loading to safely return to running or cycling without flaring up symptoms

• Training modifications (like changing terrain, cadence, or mileage) while we address root causes

Get Expert Help in Mount Holly

If you’re dealing with knee pain—whether it just started or has been nagging you for months—you don’t have to figure it out alone. At Kinetix, we specialize in getting to the root cause of your pain and building a personalized plan to fix it.

✅ One-on-one care

✅ Sports rehab experts

✅ No referral needed

✅ All major insurances accepted

Book your free injury screen today or call us to schedule a full evaluation.

Let’s get you back on track—stronger, pain-free, and confident in your movement.