Knee Pain Specialist in
Denver, CO
Knee pain can affect your ability to walk, use stairs, exercise, run, hike, or simply get through the day comfortably. It can be even more frustrating when the pain keeps returning despite rest, braces, physical therapy, injections, medication, or changes to your activity.
At Studholme Chiropractic in Denver, we evaluate more than the painful area. We assess how your knee works with your hips, ankles, feet, trunk, and the rest of your movement system. We then use objective strength and movement testing to identify the deficits that may be contributing to your symptoms.
As a knee pain specialist practice, your treatment is based on what we find. That may include hands on care, one on one rehabilitation, progressive strength training, and additional treatment tools when appropriate. The goal is not to calm your knee down for a few days. It is to help you understand what is limiting you, rebuild your capacity, and return to the activities that matter to you.
Can a Chiropractor Help with Knee Pain?
Yes. Chiropractic care may help with some forms of knee pain, but treating the knee joint alone is not always enough. Knee pain can be influenced by joint mobility, muscle strength, tendon capacity, balance, training demands, and how force moves through the entire leg.
That is why we assess the knee as part of a larger system.
Hands on treatment may help reduce discomfort and improve movement. Rehabilitation helps build the strength, control, and load tolerance needed to maintain that progress.
You do not have to choose between chiropractic care and rehabilitation. At Studholme Chiropractic, both are included in every visit.
Chronic knee pain that will not go away does not always mean something is severely damaged. It may mean that your knee is having to handle more stress than it is ready for right now.
Possible contributors include:
Reduced quadriceps or hip strength
Differences in strength between legs
Limited ankle or hip movement
Poor balance or single leg control
A rapid increase in running or training volume
Reduced tendon capacity
Incomplete rehabilitation after an injury or surgery
Exercises that were never progressed
Treatment often falls short when it focuses only on reducing pain without rebuilding the knee’s ability to handle walking, stairs, running, lifting, and sport.
Our job is to identify what your knee currently tolerates, determine which factors may be contributing, and gradually improve how your body manages movement and load.
Why Isn't My Knee Pain Getting Better?
We Measure How Your Knee Moves and Loads. We Don't Guess.
Your first visit is a two-hour, full body functional evaluation.
We begin with your history, symptoms, previous treatment, activity demands, and goals. Next, we examine your knee and evaluate how the entire leg works during the movements that matter to you. Then, we map everything we find on a whiteboard so you can see what's driving the pain rather than take our word for it.
Testing is selected according to your condition and may include:
Measures how your trunk, hips, knees, ankles, and feet move during walking, running, and other activities.
For runners, this may help identify stride patterns or movement strategies that could be increasing demand on the knee.
Noraxon 3D Running & Gait Analysis with EMG and Force Plates
VALD DynaMo Strength Testing
Measures muscle strength and compares performance between sides.
Depending on your symptoms, we may test the quadriceps, hamstrings, hips, calves, or other muscle groups that help control the knee.
EMG Muscle Testing
Measures when selected muscles are active and how they respond during movement or exercise.
EMG can also be used as real time feedback during rehabilitation to help you improve muscle recruitment and movement control.
Advanced Muscle Integration Technique
AMIT provides an additional clinical method for assessing how individual muscles are contributing to movement.
Dr. Studholme is one of only a few AMIT certified practitioners in Colorado.
We Use a Whiteboard to Explain:
What may be contributing to your symptoms
Which movements and activities are currently limited
What your testing showed
What needs to improve
How treatment and rehabilitation will progress
What you can safely continue doing
Bertec Force Plate Testing
Measures how you produce, absorb, and distribute force during tasks such as squatting, jumping, landing, or transitioning between legs.
This helps us identify differences that may not be visible during a standard examination.
Functional Movement Testing
Examines tasks such as squatting, stepping down, lunging, running, jumping, changing direction, and using stairs.
These movements help us understand what your knee can currently tolerate and where control begins to break down.
No single test gives us the entire answer. We combine your history, physical examination, movement testing, strength measurements, and response to activity to build a clearer picture of what may be contributing to your pain. We measure. We don't guess.
We Show You What We Find
You should leave your evaluation understanding your knee better than when you arrived.
You are not simply told that your knee is weak, misaligned, or tracking poorly.
We show you the findings, explain what they mean, and connect them to the activities you want to return to.
Hands On Care and One on One Rehabilitation
Finding the cause is only the first step. Lasting improvement requires changing what your body can tolerate and how confidently you can move. Follow up visits are one hour and combine hands on treatment with guided rehabilitation.
Your Treatment Plan May Include
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Joint mobilization, soft tissue treatment, and other manual techniques may be used to reduce discomfort and restore movement when appropriate.
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We coach you through your exercises instead of handing you a generic exercise sheet.
Your program may address:
Quadriceps and hamstring strength
Hip and calf strength
Tendon loading
Balance and single leg control
Squatting and stepping mechanics
Running and landing control
A gradual return to work, exercise, or sport
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We film your exercises so you leave with personalized videos showing exactly what to do at home.
You do not have to rely on memory or search online for a similar exercise.
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Your rehabilitation becomes more challenging as your pain, strength, and movement improve.
The goal is to prepare your knee for real demands, not keep you performing basic exercises indefinitely.
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Class IV laser may be used as an additional tool to help manage knee pain and support your ability to participate in rehabilitation when appropriate.
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Dynamic Tape may be used to reduce stress on a sensitive area while still allowing the knee to move during work, exercise, and everyday activity.
The Knee Problems We See Most
Patellofemoral Pain and Runner’s Knee
Pain around or behind the kneecap that may increase with running, squatting, stairs, prolonged sitting, or downhill activity.
We assess knee strength, hip strength, ankle mobility, training load, running mechanics, and movement control to determine what may need to improve.
Patellar and Quadriceps Tendon Pain
Pain at the front of the knee that is often aggravated by jumping, running, squatting, or repeated loading.
Rehabilitation focuses on gradually rebuilding the tendon’s ability to tolerate force.
Iliotibial Band and Outer Knee Pain
Pain along the outside of the knee that commonly appears during running or cycling.
We examine training demands, hip strength, running mechanics, and the way force moves through the leg.
Meniscus Related Knee Pain
Pain, swelling, stiffness, catching, or difficulty bending and straightening the knee.
We assess whether conservative rehabilitation is appropriate and refer for imaging or medical evaluation when needed.
Pain with Stairs, Squatting, and Walking
Knee pain that appears during common daily movements.
We assess how the knee manages load and whether limitations in strength, mobility, balance, or control may be contributing.
Knee Osteoarthritis
Pain, stiffness, weakness, or reduced function associated with degenerative changes in the knee.
Treatment focuses on maintaining movement, improving strength, increasing confidence, and helping the joint tolerate daily and recreational activity.
Running and Sport Related Knee Pain
Pain that limits running, hiking, skiing, cycling, field sports, court sports, lifting, or other physical activities.
Ligament Injury Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation following an ACL, MCL, LCL, or other ligament injury.
Your program is based on healing status, medical guidance, strength, movement control, and the activities you need to return to.
Rehabilitation After Knee Surgery
Being discharged from early physical therapy does not always mean you are ready to return to normal work, training, or recreation.
Post surgical rehabilitation helps bridge the gap between basic recovery and full function.
We Work with Patients Recovering From Procedures Such As:
ACL Reconstruction
Meniscus Surgery
Patellar or Quadriceps Tendon Repair
Cartilage Procedures
Knee Replacement
Other Knee Surgeries After Medical Clearance
Rehabilitation May Include:
Restoring Comfortable Knee Movement
Rebuilding Quadriceps and Hamstring Strength
Improving Balance and Single Leg Control
Retraining Squatting, Stepping, and Walking
Progressing Running, Jumping, and Change of Direction
Preparing for Work, Hiking, Skiing, Lifting, or Sport
We coordinate with your surgeon or medical team when additional guidance is needed.
Why People with Stubborn Knee Pain Come to Us
Many of the Denver patients we see already tried chiropractic care, physical therapy, massage, injections, medication, or rest. Some find us through word of mouth, while others are referred by healthcare providers, coaches, or trainers who want a more detailed evaluation.
Patients often come to us because:
Their knee pain keeps returning
Previous care focused only on the painful area
Their exercises were never progressed
They were told to stop activity without a plan for returning
They want objective testing rather than another opinion based only on feel
They want a provider who will perform the rehabilitation with them
Our approach combines a two hour functional evaluation, objective strength and movement testing, hands on treatment, one on one rehabilitation, and retesting to track progress.
Your Knee is in Good Hands
Dr. Studholme is certified in Advanced Muscle Integration Technique, an additional method used to assess how individual muscles are contributing to movement. He also co founded SparkMotion, a movement assessment platform used in high performance sports settings.
Technology is only useful when it changes a clinical decision. We use testing to answer specific questions, guide rehabilitation, and measure progress, not simply to produce more data.
We are also honest about what belongs in our office. When your symptoms require imaging, medical evaluation, or specialist care, we will tell you and help direct you to the appropriate provider.
Knee Pain Chiropractor FAQs
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Yes. Chiropractic care can help with certain forms of knee pain, especially when hands on treatment is combined with progressive rehabilitation. We evaluate the knee, the surrounding joints, and the rest of the movement chain before recommending treatment.
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No. Treatment is based on what your evaluation shows. It may include soft tissue treatment, joint mobilization, rehabilitation, laser therapy, or taping. Forceful manipulation is not required.
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You don't have to choose. Follow up visits combine hands on treatment with one-on-one rehabilitation. Hands on treatment can help manage your symptoms and restore movement, while guided rehabilitation builds the strength, control, and tolerance needed for longer term improvement.
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Some people improve enough with rehabilitation and conservative treatment that surgery is not immediately necessary.
That cannot be promised for every condition. The decision depends on your diagnosis, symptoms, structural findings, activity goals, and response to care.
When surgical consultation is appropriate, we will tell you.
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Walking and stairs place repeated demand on the knee.
Pain during these activities may be influenced by quadriceps strength, hip strength, ankle movement, balance, joint irritation, or how the leg controls force.
Your evaluation helps us determine which factors are relevant in your case.
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Yes, after appropriate medical clearance. We help patients rebuild movement, strength, balance, and functional capacity following knee surgery or knee replacement.
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Knee pain treatment in Denver is not one size fits all. That depends on your diagnosis, how long the pain has been present, your current function, and the activities you want to return to.
Some patients notice changes early. Tendon problems, post-surgical weakness, and long-standing knee pain often require a longer period of progressive loading and rehabilitation.
Your evaluation gives us the information needed to recommend a plan based on your findings.
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Your first visit takes approximately two hours and may include:
A detailed history
A physical and neurological examination
Knee and lower body movement testing
Strength, balance, EMG, force plate, or gait testing when indicated
A clear explanation of the findings
Initial treatment and rehabilitation planning
You leave knowing what we found, what the plan is, and what happens next.
Get answers about your knee.
If you have been told to rest, brace it, or live with it, you may need a clearer plan. You need to know what your body is struggling with, what needs to improve, and how to rebuild it safely. Let's measure what's actually wrong and build a plan to fix it. We see patients from across Denver, including Washington Park, Platt Park, Cherry Creek, Englewood, and Greenwood Village at our 1600 South Broadway, Denver, CO 80210 location.