WHY IT HAPPENS

Why knee and hip pain keeps coming back

Knee and hip pain rarely comes from nowhere. Tight hips or weak glutes change how force travels through the leg, and the knee or low back often takes the extra load. That is why rest and stretching alone tend to bring the pain right back.

Years of sitting make this worse. Hips that stay bent all day lose extension and rotation, and the knee, the IT band, and the low back end up compensating.

“Build the strength to do what you love.”

REAL CASES

What this looks like in practice

From knee pain on stairs to daily hikes

A client came to me with arthritis in her knee. Stairs hurt, and so did walking in general.

We started strength training once per week and corrective exercises daily, including foam rolling and work to support the knee. About a month later, with consistent foam rolling and corrective work, the knee pain was gone. She now enjoys hikes and morning walks every day.

What I like most about this is that it is not random. There are specific steps I can show you so that you can help yourself.

Active with a bulging disc and IT band pain

A client who played soccer in college and still bikes regularly came to me with a bulging disc and IT band pain. After years of sitting more for work, her hips had tightened up significantly, and that tightness was the root of both issues.

We focused on opening her hips, improving hip extension and rotation, and strengthening her glutes to support her low back. The IT band pain and bulging disc symptoms resolved once the hips were more active.

She ramped up her biking this summer and some tightness returned, but after each corrective session she bounces back quickly and rides without pain. She never stopped being active. Her body just needed targeted work to keep up with the life she wants to live.

These are individual client experiences. Results vary, and this page is not medical advice. 

If you have a diagnosed condition, check with your doctor before starting a new program.

WHAT WE DO

The Approach

Every program starts with a movement and mobility assessment to find the root cause, not just the place that hurts. 

From there we work on hips, glutes, core, thighs, calves and feet.

A common setup is 2 to 3 strength session per week plus short daily corrective work you do on your own, like foam rolling and targeted exercises. 

The goal is for you to understand what is going on and have steps you can repeat without me.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Can corrective exercise help with knee arthritis pain?

It can help many people. Strengthening the muscles that support the knee and improving hip mobility reduces the load on the joint. One client with knee arthritis went from pain on stairs to daily hikes in about a month. Results vary, and it is worth checking with your doctor about any diagnosis.

Can tight hips cause IT band pain or low back pain?

Often, yes. When the hips lose extension and rotation, the IT band, knee, and low back tend to take on extra load. Opening the hips and strengthening the glutes can relieve all three.

Do I have to stop biking, hiking, or running?

Usually not. We work around your activity and focus on the movements that are limiting you, so you can keep doing what you enjoy while the aches and pains start to relieve.

How often will we meet?

A common setup is 2 to 3 strength session per week plus short daily corrective work you do on your own. Your plan depends on what we find in your assessment.

What is corrective exercise?

Corrective exercise identifies the movement compensations and muscle imbalances that cause pain and restrict range of motion. Rather than working around the problem, it addresses the root cause by restoring joint mobility and rebuilding the strength needed to move without compensation.

Where are the sessions held?

In San Francisco, in Hayes Valley.