I became a massage therapist because of my own knee pain, caused by the repetitive stress of running, and maybe a little too much hot yoga.
If you're dealing with knee pain right now, here's the question worth asking yourself:
Is your knee pain even coming from your knees?
The answer can be hard to figure out, even with help from medical professionals. When I first started having knee pain, I went to a doctor who manipulated my knee. I felt no pain at all when they touched it. They couldn't find anything wrong, so I was referred to an orthopedic surgeon. He examined my knees, moved them around, and ran imaging. His conclusion: my knees were fine.
But they weren't. My knees felt stiff and on fire.
A friend suggested I visit a massage school. I got a massage from a licensed therapist who specialized in clinical massage therapy, work that focuses on myofascial trigger points, the small, painful knots that form in muscle tissue.
She went straight to the root of my knee pain: my quads. The quadriceps are the large muscles on the front of your thigh. They run from your pelvic and hip area down to your kneecap, connected by tendons. Most people don't realize their knee pain can start there.
The massage she gave me was quick and intense. I've since adapted my own style to be slower, more mindful, and more comfortable for clients. She spent 90 minutes working just my quads. It was not a good time. But it was worth it, because for the first time I understood that my quads, not my knees, were the actual source of my pain. When I stepped off the table and put my feet on the floor, the stiff, burning feeling in my knees was gone.
If just one knee is bothering you, a 90-minute session is usually enough. If both knees are involved, or you're also dealing with hip or low back pain, book a 120-minute session.
Book NowMy knee pain didn't return to the level it had been at before, even as I became active again. Learning how to treat my own pain, and later how to prevent it by strengthening the right muscles, changed how I think about pain relief entirely. That's the same approach I bring to every client.
You can book a session specific to knee pain, hip pain, or low back pain. If you're dealing with more than one area, choose Therapeutic Massage and note your areas of concern on the intake form you'll receive by email after booking.
I know it can be hard to book an appointment when you're in pain and unsure whether it will actually help. Let real client experiences help you decide.