Every time I would go up or down the stairs my knee would hurt. What could it be?  I didn’t injure it nor did i overuse it.

Did I take medication to make the pain go away?  No.

Did I get a cortisone shot?  No.

Was a magic wand waved over my knee?  Sort of and you’re getting closer.

Did I get a massage on my knee?  No. but getting even closer.

Did a massage elsewhere relieve my knee pain?  YES!

The cause of our pain is often not where the pain is located.  In my case the hamstring muscles were very tight.  This resulted in a pulling of the knee “off track” and a “referred” pain into the knee.

Not all massage therapists look elsewhere for the cause of the pain preferring to just work the pain site. Be sure to check that your therapist has advanced training, is licensed and board certified. You are likely to get a better result.

What could cause the hamstrings to be tight if not from over use? Actually they were overused, overused to sitting too much at a desk. This causes the muscles to shorten resulting in reduced performance and pain.

Desk jockeys beware.  Get up often.  Move often. Stretch often.

And don’t wait for pain to get a massage if you think your muscles may be tight. Prevention is always less expensive in pain and money than waiting too late.  And in the meantime you get to enjoy more energy, better health and a more relaxed state of being.