Whether you’re a hockey player, runner, soccer athlete, CrossFit enthusiast, or weekend warrior, knee pain can quickly limit your ability to train and compete. While many athletes try to “push through” discomfort, untreated knee pain often leads to reduced performance, compensation injuries, and longer recovery times.

At Evolution Physiotherapy in Okotoks, we specialize in diagnosing and treating sports-related knee injuries using evidence-based rehabilitation, objective strength testing, and advanced force plate technology to help athletes return to sport safely and confidently.

The knee is exposed to significant forces during running, jumping, cutting, pivoting, and landing. In many cases, pain develops because the demands placed on the knee exceed its capacity to tolerate load.

Contributing factors may include:

• Sudden increases in training volume or intensity
• Poor landing or cutting mechanics
• Muscle weakness around the hips, quadriceps, hamstrings, or calves
• Reduced balance or neuromuscular control
• Previous knee injuries
• Limited ankle or hip mobility
• Inadequate recovery between training sessions

Identifying the underlying cause—not simply treating the symptoms—is essential for long-term recovery.

Pain is typically felt around or behind the kneecap and often worsens with:

• Running
• Squatting
• Lunges
• Climbing stairs
• Sitting for prolonged periods

This condition is common in runners and field sport athletes and often responds well to targeted strengthening and movement retraining.

Patellar tendinopathy commonly affects athletes involved in jumping sports such as basketball, volleyball, soccer, and hockey.

Symptoms include:

• Pain just below the kneecap
• Pain during jumping and sprinting
• Morning stiffness
• Reduced explosive power

Research consistently supports progressive loading exercises as the cornerstone of treatment rather than prolonged rest.

The meniscus acts as a shock absorber within the knee. Tears may occur following twisting injuries or gradually over time.

Common symptoms include:

• Joint line pain
• Swelling
• Catching or locking
• Pain during twisting movements
• Difficulty squatting deeply

Not every meniscus tear requires surgery, and many athletes recover successfully with physiotherapy.

Ligament injuries include damage to the:

• ACL
• MCL
• LCL
• PCL

These injuries often occur during rapid changes of direction, awkward landings, or contact with another player. Early assessment is important to determine the severity of injury and develop an appropriate rehabilitation plan.

Often experienced by runners and cyclists, IT band syndrome causes pain along the outside of the knee that typically worsens with repetitive activity.

Treatment focuses on correcting contributing factors such as training errors, strength deficits, and running mechanics.

Knee arthritis does not necessarily mean you need to stop exercising.

Many active adults continue to run, hike, ski, golf, and play recreational sports with the right rehabilitation program. Strength training, mobility exercises, education, and activity modification can significantly reduce pain and improve function.

Many knee conditions present with similar symptoms, making self-diagnosis difficult.

At Evolution Physiotherapy, your assessment includes:

• A detailed injury history
• Movement analysis
• Strength testing
• Flexibility assessment
• Functional testing
• Sport-specific movement evaluation
• Balance assessment when indicated
• Force plate testing for objective measurement of movement quality and limb symmetry

Rather than guessing, we identify the factors limiting your recovery and create a personalized treatment plan.

Treatment is tailored to your injury, goals, and sport but may include:

• Progressive strengthening
• Exercise therapy
• Manual therapy
• Dry needling (when appropriate)
• Running or movement retraining
• Balance and proprioception training
• Plyometric progression
• Return-to-sport programming
• Education on training loads and injury prevention

Our goal is not simply to reduce pain but to restore strength, confidence, and performance.

Pain alone does not indicate whether an athlete is ready to return to sport.

Research has shown that persistent strength deficits and movement asymmetries may remain long after pain has resolved, increasing the risk of re-injury.

Using advanced force plate technology, we can objectively measure:

• Single-leg balance
• Jump performance
• Landing mechanics
• Limb symmetry
• Force production
• Rate of force development

These measurements help guide rehabilitation, monitor progress, and support safer return-to-sport decisions.

Consider booking an assessment if:

• Knee pain lasts more than a few days
• Your knee swells after activity
• Pain affects your training or performance
• Your knee feels unstable or gives way
• You cannot run, jump, or change direction comfortably
• You are recovering from surgery or a significant injury
• You want to prevent a minor problem from becoming a major one

Early treatment often leads to faster recovery and reduces the likelihood of chronic pain.

At Evolution Physiotherapy, we help athletes of all ages recover from knee injuries and return to the activities they love. Whether you’re preparing for your next hockey season, training for a marathon, recovering from ACL surgery, or simply looking to stay active, our evidence-based approach combines expert clinical assessment with objective sports performance testing to guide your recovery every step of the way.

If knee pain is limiting your performance, book an assessment with Evolution Physiotherapy in Okotoks and let us help you move better, recover stronger, and return to sport with confidence.

References

1. Willy, R. W., Hoglund, L. T., Barton, C. J., et al. (2019). Patellofemoral Pain: Clinical Practice Guidelines Linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 49(9), CPG1–CPG95. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2019.0302 
2. Ophey, M., et al. (2025). Dutch multidisciplinary guideline on anterior knee pain: Patellofemoral pain and patellar tendinopathy. Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy, 33. https://doi.org/10.1002/ksa.12367 
3. Crossley, K. M., van Middelkoop, M., Callaghan, M. J., et al. (2016). 2016 Patellofemoral Pain Consensus Statement from the 4th International Patellofemoral Pain Research Retreat. British Journal of Sports Medicine.
4. Malliaras, P., Cook, J. L., Purdam, C. R., & Rio, E. (2015). Patellar Tendinopathy: Clinical Diagnosis, Load Management, and Advice for Challenging Case Presentations. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 45(11), 887–898.
5. Ardern, C. L., Glasgow, P., Schneiders, A., et al. (2016). 2016 Consensus Statement on Return to Sport from the First World Congress in Sports Physical Therapy. British Journal of Sports Medicine.
6. Grindem, H., Snyder-Mackler, L., Moksnes, H., Engebretsen, L., & Risberg, M. A. (2016). Simple decision rules reduce reinjury risk after ACL reconstruction. British Journal of Sports Medicine.
7. Kyritsis, P., Bahr, R., Landreau, P., Miladi, R., & Witvrouw, E. (2016). Likelihood of ACL graft rupture: Not meeting return-to-sport discharge criteria before return to sport is associated with a four-times greater risk of graft rupture. British Journal of Sports Medicine.
8. Culvenor, A. G., et al. (2019). Rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction: Current evidence and future directions. Sports Medicine.
9. Hewett, T. E., Di Stasi, S. L., & Myer, G. D. (2013). Current concepts for injury prevention in athletes after ACL reconstruction. American Journal of Sports Medicine.
10. American College of Sports Medicine. (2021). ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (11th ed.).