Runner's Knee Pain in Victoria BC: Why Your Knee May Not Be the Real Problem
- Julia Cole
- Jul 20
- 3 min read
Persistent knee pain when running or playing soccer? The problem might not actually be your knee.
One of the most common things I hear in the clinic is:
"My knee just started hurting. I don't remember doing anything to it."
This type of gradual (insidious) onset knee pain is especially common in runners and soccer players. Unlike a ligament injury or a collision on the field, the pain slowly builds over days or weeks until running, stairs, squatting, or even walking become uncomfortable.
The surprising part?
In many cases, the knee isn't the primary problem.
The Knee Is Often the Victim, Not the Cause
The knee sits between the hip and the ankle. It relies on both joints to move well and absorb force efficiently.
If your ankle lacks mobility, your hip isn't producing enough strength, or your movement mechanics aren't optimal, those forces often get transferred to the knee.
Over time, that repetitive overload can lead to irritation and pain.
That's why simply treating the painful area doesn't always solve the problem.
What I Assess During an Athletic Therapy Evaluation
Of course, I'll examine your knee. I want to rule out injuries involving the ligaments, meniscus, tendons, or cartilage.
But I also want to answer the more important question:
Why is your knee being overloaded in the first place?
That's why every assessment also includes looking at:
Ankle Mobility
Limited ankle dorsiflexion can change how you squat, run, land, and change direction.
When the ankle doesn't move well, the knee often has to compensate.
Hip Strength
The gluteal muscles play an important role in controlling the position of your pelvis, hip, and knee during movement.
Weakness or poor control can increase stress on structures around the knee, particularly during running, cutting, jumping, and single-leg activities.
Movement Mechanics
Watching someone move tells me far more than looking at the knee alone.
I assess movements such as:
Squats
Single-leg squats
Step-downs
Running mechanics
Jumping and landing
Cutting and change of direction (when appropriate)
These movements often reveal the underlying reason your symptoms developed.
Why Rest Alone Often Doesn't Fix It
Many people take a week or two off, feel a little better, and then the pain returns as soon as they resume running or soccer.
That's because rest can reduce irritation, but it doesn't address why the tissues became overloaded in the first place.
The goal isn't simply to make the pain disappear.
The goal is to improve your body's capacity so it can tolerate the demands of your sport.
That usually involves:
Improving ankle mobility
Building hip and lower limb strength
Progressively loading the irritated tissues
Optimizing movement mechanics
Gradually returning to running or sport
Every Runner and Soccer Player Is Different
The same diagnosis doesn't always have the same cause.
For one runner, the limiting factor may be reduced ankle mobility.
For another, it may be hip strength.
For someone else, it could be a sudden increase in training volume or changes in running mechanics.
That's why a personalized assessment is so valuable. Rather than simply treating symptoms, we identify the factors contributing to your knee pain and build a plan to address them.
Athletic Therapy in Victoria, BC
If you're experiencing persistent knee pain while running, playing soccer, hiking, or staying active, don't assume the pain is only coming from your knee.
A comprehensive assessment can help identify the contributing factors and create a treatment plan that gets you back to the activities you enjoy—while reducing the chance of the pain returning.
At Proactive Therapy in Victoria, BC, I use evidence-based Athletic Therapy, manual therapy, and progressive strength and conditioning to help active adults and athletes recover from injury and return to sport with confidence.
