Could your knee pain be coming from your back? 

Could your knee pain be coming from your back?

When it comes to joint pain, we often zero in on the area causing the pain and blame it, but what if the aching sensation is caused by a different part of our body?

When it comes to knee pain, there are a variety of causes. Our knees do a lot of heavy lifting and often bear the brunt of our physical activity; so you might be surprised to learn the root cause of knee pain can sometimes have a spine-tingling connection to your back!

In this month’s blog, we delve into the surprising relationship between your back and your knees to explore how issues in your spine might just be the unwelcome guest causing a pain in your knee.

Can back pain cause knee pain?

The simple answer is yes.

It’s easy to assume your back doesn’t have much impact on your knees – they’re not really connected, and they do completely different things for us. So to understand how back issues can create knee issues, let’s look at our body’s anatomy.

The knee is a complex structure. There are various muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments which all need proper alignment to function properly. However, these tendons, ligaments and muscles are all influenced by the alignment and mobility of the spine, pelvis and hips. [1]

Your lumbar spine (lower back) plays a pivotal role in maintaining your overall balance. [2] When there is an issue in your lower back, such as a herniated disc or muscle sprain, it can lead to altered movement patterns to compensate for the injury or discomfort. This can lead to misalignment of your pelvis, which can lead straight down to your knees and impact their function – which leads to pain.

Lower back and knee pain is a common problem we treat in our practice. Book an appointment today.

 

How to tell if your back is causing knee pain

To the everyday person, it might not be obvious, but there are a few signs you can look out for:

• Referred pain – if your knee pain occurs at the same time as discomfort in your lower back.
• Changes in your movement – if your knee pain worsens when you move or sit a different way.
• Persistent symptoms – if your knee pain persists despite at-home treatment.

If you have any of these symptoms, your knee pain could be coming from your spine.

 

Treating knee and back pain

If you are experiencing pain in the knees or back, it could be time to book an appointment with a physiotherapist.

Physiotherapists are qualified to undertake a full body assessment and can understand if your back is, in fact, causing issues and referred pain in your knee.

When you meet with a physiotherapist, they will likely:

• Undertake a full body assessment, which includes testing your mobility
• Trigger the painful area through manual therapy and movement
• Treat the problem area through manual therapy
• Help mobilise your lumbar spine
• Immobilise any areas which are at risk of injury
• Provide you with stretches and exercises to do at home

You can book an appointment with our team here.

The Brisbane Spine Clinic

Our team at The Brisbane Spine Clinic is made up of qualified and passionate physiotherapists who can diagnose and treat your condition.

Our patients each come with different issues and injuries, but our treatment plan is always the same – we’ll listen to your concerns, find the root cause of your pain, treat it, and give you exercises and plans to prevent any further pain, as well as addressing the current issue.

You can book in to see our team here.

 

Disclaimers:

DISCLAIMER FOR GENERAL/BROAD HEALTH CARE ADVICE THAT DOESN’T INVOLVE A TREATMENT OR PROCEDURE
All information is general and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The Brisbane Spine Clinic can consult with you regarding your individual health needs.

 

References:

[1] Healthdirect, Knee injuries, https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/knee-injuries, accessed 19 October 2024.

[2] Le Huec et al, Sagittal balance of the spine, July 2022, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31332569/#:~:text=The%20static%20sagittal%20balance%20of,which%20are%20now%20well%20defined., accessed 19 October 2024.