Last Reviewed by: Dr. Steve Knighton | March 15, 2026

Knee Pain Treatment Oakville

We treat a lot of knee pain at our Oakville Physiotherapy and Chiropractic clinic. Whether the knee pain is the result of a muscular imbalance, strained or torn ligaments, a strained meniscus, or an inflamed tendon, shockwave therapy has been proven to be the gold standard when it comes to getting our Oakville patients out of knee pain. Reach out to our evidence based chiropractic care team for knee treatment protocols for all kinds of knee injuries.

Looking for physiotherapy for a knee injury? Vinaya and her Oakville physiotherapy team have the treatment you need. Our physiotherapist treats similar to Dr. Steve and treatment almost always includes shockwave therapy.

If your knee pain symptoms are related to a workplace injury, learn how to start a WSIB claim and access approved treatment in Oakville. Knee injuries frequently occur in car accidents when the knee strikes the dashboard during impact. Our car accident injury treatment Oakville program includes treatment for knee injuries caused by motor vehicle collisions.

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Knee Pain Treatment Video:

What Our Patients Are saying

  • I was referred by another friend. Upon my arrival, I felt welcomed by the staff and without any delay, I was treated immediately. It gave me much reljef needed and I can recommend to snyone whk need similar treatment.

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    Rudolph Sequeira Avatar Rudolph Sequeira
    July 7, 2024

    Hi, my experience with Nottinghill wellness centre was absolutely great. I went for my mom who has sciatic pain and the chiro doctor Dr.Jenn did an amazing job, she has magical hands which helped my mom get better with pain just during the first sitting. Her level of pain went... read more

    roshini ravunny Avatar roshini ravunny
    September 7, 2024

    Dr. Steve is one of the humble person. He always treats you like a friend and pay attention to your problem. Moreover, he politely explains each and every problem and solutions. The staff of this clinic is also very good. All the staff greets you. When you are waiting at... read more

    Sanyam Jain Avatar Sanyam Jain
    August 7, 2024
  • The staff and the doctors at this place are amazing. My husband and I both have had really good experience with 2 different doctors here. After years of suffering and going to different practitioners finally Dr. Jenn worked magic on my lower back pain and neck. I've... read more

    amal farooq Avatar amal farooq
    October 7, 2024

    The docter and his team have been awesome. I had strong pain severe and I went to alot of other docters who chraged money heavily but did not offer single solution however this place and the team they understood first day and helped me in a great way . Initially... read more

    Preet Sangha Avatar Preet Sangha
    February 6, 2025

    As a dance instructor, I was suffering from severe pain in my calves and tendons in my legs. Dr. Steve is a true expert in his field. After just one session, I noticed a significant improvement in my pain. I immediately received additional information on how to improve my leg.... read more

    cesar gonzalez Avatar cesar gonzalez
    September 7, 2024
  • Wow! Wow! Wow! Some serious back pain from recent snow event. Sent emergency pleading text yesterday and was squeezed in for an appt BEFORE the clinic even opened. Can’t express my sincere gratitude enough. Over and above 5star service from Dr Steve and the amazing Laura. This wasn’t the... read more

    Anna Molar Avatar Anna Molar
    February 20, 2025

    Dr. Steve is professional and friendly. He explained the cause of knee pain and answered all my concerns about the injury. His assistant and all staff at the clinic are really nice and patient. As a tourist, it is very frustrating to have an injury during the trip. However, they... read more

    Bo Zhang Avatar Bo Zhang
    August 7, 2024

    I had a great experience with Dr. Steve and his team! Dr. Steve is very knowledgeable, and the whole team is welcoming and professional. After my visits, my elbow pain is now mostly relieved. Highly recommend their care!

    Li Li Avatar Li Li
    November 7, 2024

Common Types of Knee Pain We Treat

1. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome develops from an imbalance in the knee, which is a result of the muscles on the inside of the knee being weaker than the muscles on the outside. Sometimes this imbalance is so apparent that you can see the difference in muscle size! This imbalance can lead to the knee cap ‘translating’ or moving inward. As the kneecap slides medially , it doesn’t track through it’s designated groove properly, causing some friction and irritation felt behind the patella.

Shockwave Therapy is the gold standard for patellofemoral pain syndrome and can help in two ways. Firstly, shockwave therapy can help stimulate the muscles on the inside of the knee (specifically, your vastus medialis obliques). Shockwave can help wake up the nerves and ensure there is proper neurological input getting to the muscles.

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This is particularly helpful to ensure that the muscles can fully activate during strengthening exercises – which is the most important aspect of recovery for this condition. Secondly, Shockwave Therapy can help alleviate tight muscles on the outside of the leg and restore balance between the muscles to promote proper mechanics of the knee joint.

Shockwave can also be used to treat the deep ligaments of the knee which get tight with improper balance!

Read More About Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome Here

A patient receiving shockwave therapy for knee pain

What’s the best treatment for patellofemoral pain syndrome?

4 Steps to treating patellofemoral pain syndrome:

  1. IFC and Heat Therapy – Interferential Current and Heat Therapy are used to control pain and increase blood flow to the injured knee. This primes the area for the shockwave treatment that will follow.
  2. Shockwave Therapy – Shockwave is an air powered gun that fires a bullet back and forth against an applicator head. We use specific transmitter heads for each patients injury and pain tolerance. The shockwave contacts the patients 15 times a second for a total of between 1200 and 1500 hits.
  3. Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Therapy – Most patients call this the “scraper” at our clinic. The metal tool is used to breakup superficial scar tissue around the knee and quad muscles.
  4. Exercises and Icing Instructions –  Almost all patients will be given at home knee exercises that emphasize stretching in the early phase of treatment. Icing instructions will be given at the end of every treatment and aid with lowering inflammation and healing!

What is the anatomy of knee pain?

2. Meniscus Injury Treatment Oakville

 

The medial meniscus is a c-shaped cushion that sits between your femur (upper leg bone) and tibia (lower leg bone). This structure helps to support the knee under load, cushions the joint and distributes forces through the knee joint.

When the meniscus gets irritated or tears, it can become quite painful. This occurs when the knee rotates on a firmly planted leg. Signs of a meniscus strain includes inability to fully extend the knee, clicking/locking, and pain with going up and down stairs. Our Oakville therapy team typically gets more patients with Medial Meniscus injuries at the beginning of the ski season and when kids go back to indoor soccer or sports played on “bad” turf.

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Shockwave Therapy can be very helpful in managing the pain and swelling associated with meniscus strains and tears. There is even one shockwave point that can be applied directly onto the meniscus to help reduce inflammation and promote healing to a structure that already doesn’t get a great amount of blood supply (and therefore is a natural-born self-healer). Stimulating the nerves around the knee, via shockwave, can help limit discomfort and swelling.

More Information on Medial Meniscus Tears

Active release therapy for medical knee pain

What’s the Best Treatment for Meniscus Tears and Knee Injuries?

Here at our patient focused chiropractic clinic, we focus on helping patients avoid unnecessary knee surgery whenever possible. Meniscus injuries don’t always need the operating room — they need the right combination of targeted therapies delivered in the correct order.

4-Step Approach to Treating Meniscus Tears

1) IFC & Heat Therapy
Interferential Current (IFC) combined with heat is used first to control pain and increase circulation around the injured meniscus. IFC helps move excess fluid out of the knee joint, and most patients notice improved range of motion within the first 10 minutes. This “primes” the tissue and prepares the knee for the next stage of treatment.

2) Shockwave Therapy
Shockwave therapy has become a gold-standard option for patients hoping to avoid knee surgery. This air-powered device delivers rapid, controlled pulses (about 15 per second) through a specialized applicator head. Treatments typically involve 1,200–1,500 pulses, with energy penetrating approximately 15–55 mm depending on the setting. This stimulates healing in damaged tissue that often has poor blood supply — including deeper structures around the meniscus.

3) Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Therapy (IASTT)
Many patients call this the “scraper.” This specialized metal tool helps break up superficial scar tissue around the knee, quad, and surrounding connective tissues. By loosening tight ligaments and tendons that become overloaded after a meniscus injury, we reduce mechanical stress on the joint and improve overall function.

4) Targeted Exercises & Icing
Every patient receives customized home exercises. Early on, the focus is gentle mobility and stretching to restore movement without irritating the tear. Clear icing instructions are provided after each visit to control inflammation and support recovery.

3. Knee Osteoarthritis Treatment in Oakville

 

 

As we get older, our joints don’t always age as smoothly as we’d like. By age 50, many people show signs of knee arthritis on X-ray. Some never feel pain at all. Others begin to notice stiffness, swelling, and discomfort that can affect daily life.

At our Oakville clinic, Dr. Steve has seen excellent results using a specific shockwave protocol designed for seniors with moderate to severe knee arthritis. This treatment stimulates angiogenesis — the formation of new blood vessels — which improves circulation inside the joint. Better blood flow helps reduce inflammation and delivers nutrients to tissues that don’t normally heal well on their own.

Our physiotherapy and chiropractic arthritis protocols can be found here.

Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage in the knee gradually wears down, narrowing the joint space. As the protective cushioning decreases, the bones move closer together, leading to pain — especially in this weight-bearing joint. The inner (medial) part of the knee is most commonly affected.

Shockwave therapy can be a powerful, non-surgical option to manage arthritis. By increasing circulation and supporting joint lubrication, it can reduce pain and help keep you active longer.

4. Knee Ligament Sprain Treatment

There are 4 main ligaments in the knee; ACL, PCL, LCL, and MCL. For these ligament injuries, shockwave can be a beneficial modality in combination with other manual techniques and exercises. At their worst, these injuries can require surgery and more extensive therapeutic interventions, but when the injuries are less severe they respond well to immediate conservative care.

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Shockwave for ligament strains is aimed at controlling swelling, and encouraging healing to the injured ligaments. The MCL and LCL can be stimulated directly with a specific shockwave applicator head, as they can easily be felt on the inside and outside of the knee complex. When the ACL is injured it can often cause a lot of swelling. Shockwave is very effective at limiting the swelling and preventing it from lingering around too long.

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Shockwave treatment for Knee pain

What’s best treatment for a knee ligament sprain in Oakville?

4 Steps to treating ligament tears and sprains of the knee:

  1. IFC and Heat Therapy – Interferential Current and Heat Therapy are used to control pain and increase blood flow to the injured knee and the surrounding ligaments. This primes the area for the shockwave treatment that will follow. The IFC also allows for fluid to be removed from the knee which allows for new blood to enter the knee and aid in healing!
  2. Shockwave Therapy for Ligaments of the knee – Shockwave is an air powered gun that fires a bullet back and forth against an applicator head. We use specific transmitter heads for each patients injury and pain tolerance. For ligaments of the knee our knee specialists use a shallower depth transmitter head that penentrates 15mm as in most cases the ligaments are not as deep as the mensiscu tears. The shockwave contacts the patients 15 times a second for a total of between 1200 and 1500 hits.
  3. Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Therapy – Most patients call this the “scraper” at our clinic. The metal tool is used to breakup superficial scar tissue around the knee. This works great with MCL and LCL strains and tears.
  4. Exercises and Icing Instructions –  Almost all patients will be given at home knee exercises that emphasize stretching in the early phase of treatment. Icing instructions will be given at the end of every treatment and aid with lowering inflammation and healing!

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What are the best at home stretches for knee pain?

Patients with knee pain should get a specific at home workout plan for their specific diagnosis. However, sometimes patients just need some general knee exercises to do at home. Check out the link below and see if these knee exercises are right for you.

Quad Stretches PDF

Knee Stretches PDF – Beginner

Knee Stretches PDF – Advanced

 

Knee Pain FAQS