Are you feeling a burning pain in your knee? Does your pain radiate from the outside of your knee down the lower leg? Answering yes to these two questions means that you likely have a pinched peroneal nerve.
The peroneal nerve is a branch of the sciatic nerve, and it’s the only major nerve that runs through your knee. Specifically, your peroneal nerve runs around the top of the shinbone at the outside of your knee. Pinching or irritation of this nerve is the main reason people develop nerve pain in their knee. A physical therapist can help you learn about factors that can cause a pinched peroneal nerve. These specialists can also help you find effective treatment for the nerve pain in your knee.
These factors can lead to nerve pain in the knee
There are many musculoskeletal disorders, and each of these disorders has factors that increase your risk of developing them. Physical therapists are trained to recognize the risk factors for many musculoskeletal disorders, including pinched peroneal nerves. Some factors that might lead to this condition are:
- Sitting with your knee crossed over the opposite leg.
- Squatting for long stretches.
- An injured or inflamed knee ligament.
- Wearing knee braces, boots or compression socks that are too tight.
- Prolonged periods of bed rest.
- Knee surgery.
Treatment options physical therapists offer for nerve pain in the knee
After determining which factor is behind your pinched nerve, a physical therapist can take steps to start treating your pain. Some of the treatment steps your therapist may take include:
- Working on your sitting posture — Sitting with good posture includes having both feet flat on the floor. Maintaining good sitting posture can help you avoid crossing your legs and pinching your peroneal nerves.
- Increasing your leg muscle strength — Weak leg muscles can put more pressure on the knee and peroneal nerve when you’re squatting. Strengthening your muscles can help reduce the pressure on your knees.
- Mobilizing your knee — Tightness and inflammation go hand in hand. Your physical therapist can use joint mobilization to reduce tightness in knee soft tissue. This can decrease inflammation and help ease the pressure on your peroneal nerve.
Border Therapy Services offers top-notch treatment for nerve pain in the knee
Keen to reduce the nerve pain in your knee? At Border Therapy Services, our physical therapists are ready to help you meet this goal. We offer free screenings that can confirm your peroneal nerve has been pinched. In addition, our therapists are adept at building therapy plans designed to reduce your pain. We even offer virtual therapy and at-home care services that allow you to get help right from your own home.
Contact us today for more information about how we can help with your knee pain or to schedule an initial appointment.