What’s Causing Your Knee Pain If You Haven’t Injured It? Your Spine Could Be the Missing Link
Knee pain is usually thought of as a local issue, maybe a strained muscle, torn ligament, or too much time on your feet. But what if you haven’t had any injury or overuse, and your knees still ache, throb, or feel weak?
At Re-LAX Chiropractic + Wellness in Los Angeles, we often see patients with unexplained knee pain that doesn’t respond to traditional knee treatments. In many of these cases, the real problem isn’t in the knee at all. It’s coming from the spine.
Let’s break down why that happens, how to tell if it’s happening to you, and what you can do about it.
Why Your Spine Can Affect Your Knees
Your nervous system controls everything in your body, including the muscles, joints, and coordination of your legs. Nerves that exit the lower back (lumbar spine) travel down into your hips, thighs, knees, and feet. If those nerves are compressed, irritated, or inflamed, you may feel:
Knee pain or weakness
A dull ache around the kneecap
Numbness or tingling in the thigh or calf
Pain with walking or standing, even without a knee injury
This is called referred pain, meaning the pain shows up in one area (like your knee) even though the source is somewhere else (like your lower back).
Common Spinal Conditions That Cause Knee Pain
Several spinal issues can lead to referred knee pain. The most common include:
✅ Lumbar Disc Bulge or Herniation When a disc in your lower back presses on a nerve root, it can cause radiating pain that travels into the leg and knee. You might also feel stiffness, weakness, or difficulty bending.
✅ Sciatica Although sciatica usually affects the back of the leg, it can also refer pain to the knee—especially the outer side or behind the joint.
✅ Spinal Misalignment (Subluxation) When joints in the spine are not moving properly, they can cause nerve irritation and muscular compensation. This can change the way you walk or bear weight, placing stress on the knee.
✅ Pelvic Imbalance When one hip is higher or rotated, it can throw off your gait and posture, shifting uneven pressure to one knee.
How to Tell If Your Knee Pain Is Actually a Spinal Issue
Here are signs that your knee pain might not be coming from the knee:
You feel pain in both knees without a clear injury.
Your pain moves or changes depending on your posture or sitting/standing time.
You also have low back stiffness, hip tightness, or leg numbness.
Knee imaging (like X-rays or MRIs) came back normal.
Physical therapy focused only on the knee hasn’t helped.
What a Chiropractor Looks for When You Have Knee Pain
At Re-LAX Chiropractic + Wellness, we look at the whole body, not just the joint that hurts. When you come in with knee pain, we assess:
Spinal alignment, especially in the lumbar and pelvic regions
Hip and leg strength and symmetry
Gait and movement patterns
Muscle imbalances or tension in the lower back and hips
Nerve function with orthopedic and neurological tests
How Chiropractic Care Can Help Relieve Spinal-Related Knee Pain
✅ Spinal Adjustments We gently correct misalignments in the lumbar spine or pelvis that may be putting pressure on nerves and affecting your knee function.
✅ Active Release Technique (ART) This soft tissue therapy helps release tight muscles and improve nerve communication from the spine to the knee.
✅ Spinal Decompression If a disc bulge or herniation is contributing to nerve pain, decompression can reduce pressure and inflammation.
✅ Posture and Movement Training We guide you on how to move better, strengthen weak areas, and take pressure off your joints.
Don’t Ignore Knee Pain Just Because There Was No Injury
Knee pain without trauma doesn’t mean it’s “all in your head.” It could be a sign that your spine, hips, or nerves need attention.
The sooner you identify the root cause, the easier it is to correct and avoid long-term damage. Chiropractic care provides a natural, non-invasive way to uncover and treat those hidden causes.
📍 Re-LAX Chiropractic
8929 South Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 100
Los Angeles, CA 90045
🌐 www.re-laxchiropractic.com