This week, I worked with a patient who had been dealing with nagging knee pain for over a year. She had already seen a physical therapist and was doing all the “right” things—stretching tight muscles and strengthening weak ones. It helped, but the pain still lingered.
During her initial evaluation, we noticed her TFL (tensor fasciae latae)—a muscle on the front of the hip—was working overtime. When that muscle tightens up, it pulls on the IT Band, which runs down to the knee. That tension can create knee pain, even if there’s nothing actually wrong with the knee itself.
But there was more to it. Her superior gluteal nerve, which helps control the TFL, wasn’t moving freely—it was getting pinched under her piriformis muscle in the hip.
💥 The real problem? A stuck nerve in her hip was causing her knee pain.
Here’s what we did:
✔️ Used shockwave therapy on the piriformis to take pressure off the nerve
✔️ Released the IT band to reduce tension down the leg
Results?
After just one session, she felt immediate relief in her knee and better movement in Pilates. By her 5th visit, her knee pain was completely gone.
The big takeaway:
Knee pain isn’t always about the knee. Pain often shows up in one place but starts somewhere else. In this case, it was a nerve trapped upstream that caused pain downstream.
If you’ve tried the usual routes and still aren’t getting relief, it might be time for a different approach.
Let’s figure it out—together,
Dr. Del
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