For Darius T., a 28-year-old Brooklyn-based marathon runner, knee pain started as a dull ache after long runs. He dismissed it at first—just overtraining, he thought.
But after a half-marathon last spring, his pain flared up and refused to go away. Climbing stairs hurt. Squats were impossible. Running even one mile became a struggle. An orthopedic evaluation confirmed what he feared:
“You have patellar tendonitis—also known as runner’s knee.”
Darius was told to rest and consider cortisone injections, but he wanted a natural recovery without medications. That’s when he found Brooklyn Pain Doctors Clinic, where he began a structured, non-surgical treatment plan.
During his evaluation with our team, we noted:
Sharp pain below the kneecap during running and jumping
Tenderness and swelling over the patellar tendon
Weak glutes and imbalanced quad activation
Tight hip flexors and IT band tension
Poor biomechanics during squatting and descending stairs
Darius’s goals:
✅ Return to pain-free running
✅ Avoid injections or surgery
✅ Strengthen and prevent future injury
✅ Resume training for fall marathon season
We developed a holistic, 8–12 week care plan, built for performance and recovery:
✅ Acupuncture (2x/week):
To reduce inflammation, accelerate tissue repair, and relieve deep knee tension.
✅ Sports Physical Therapy:
Focused on eccentric strengthening of the quads, correcting hip/knee alignment, and dynamic movement retraining.
✅ Manual Therapy & Cupping:
Released tension in overused tissues (quads, hip flexors, calves) and improved circulation around the patellar tendon.
✅ Running Form Re-Training:
Included treadmill gait analysis, cadence optimization, and posture correction.
✅ Gradual Return-to-Run Program:
Structured plan with progressive load increases, rest days, and functional benchmarks.