3 ways virtual physical therapy can treat nerve pain in your knee

You might assume that the pain in your knee is coming from an injury or arthritis making itself known. These causes are very common, it’s true. Yet there is a good chance that the pain in your knee might be nerve related. Virtual physical therapists can help you learn more about this type of pain, and they can also help you take steps to treat nerve pain in your knee.

Why are you feeling nerve pain in your knee?

There are two main reasons why people develop nerve pain in their knees. The first is sciatica. That’s right. A lower back issue could be causing your pain. You see, the sciatic nerve runs from your lower back all the way down your legs. When part of this nerve is pinched in the lower back, it can send waves of pain shooting through the entire length of the nerve.

The second most likely cause of your pain is peroneal neuropathy, or a pinched peroneal nerve. This nerve is a branch of the sciatic nerve, and it runs along the outside of your knee. Peroneal neuropathy is the most common form of lower limb neuropathy. This condition often occurs as a result of:

• Crossing the legs while sitting (the most common cause).
• Squatting for extended periods of time.
• Inflammation from other knee injuries.
• Boots, braces or casts that are tight around the bottom of the knee.

Virtual physical therapists can take these 3 steps to help treat nerve pain in your knee

Their musculoskeletal system knowledge can definitely help virtual physical therapists treat the nerve pain in your knee. As can their ability to:

1. Pinpoint the cause of your pain — Virtual physical therapists will do several things to gather information about your condition. They may ask you questions about your pain and other symptoms, for instance. They may have you perform certain movements while they watch you. Taking these steps can help your physical therapist determine if your pain is radiating from a pinched sciatic nerve or is caused by peroneal neuropathy.

2. Help release the pinched nerve — Reducing the pinching on the affected nerve can cut your pain. Your virtual physical therapist may seek to achieve this goal in several ways. Most commonly, they’ll provide you with a set of specific stretching exercises. These exercises are intended to ease tension in soft tissue that may be pressing against the nerve in question. If successful, the exercises can also help ease your nerve pain.

3. Show you how to reduce the risk of further aggravation — You may notice that certain movements or tasks aggravate your symptoms. Avoiding such things would be the best option. But you may not feel like you can without reducing your independence or your ability to do your job. Luckily, virtual physical therapists can help you. They can listen to your feedback about the movements and tasks that increase your symptoms. Your clinician can then take that information and use it to help you find alternative movements or ways of doing a task that can still help you get things done.

Agile Virtual PT offers help for people with nerve pain in their knee

Decided that continuing to live with nerve pain in your knee just isn’t an option? Our Agile Virtual PT team says good for you! Yet we also know that you may need help treating your pain. That’s why we want you to know that we offer free virtual screenings that can help you begin treating your knee pain. Our team also includes more than 400 clinicians who can build you a treatment plan that’s personalized to your needs and recovery goals.

Contact our team today for more information about our knee pain treatment services or to schedule an initial appointment with us