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Why Does My Knee Hurt When I Walk? | San Antonio Orthopedic Specialist

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 19:23:45 GMT

Why Does My Knee Hurt When I Walk?

Knee pain when walking is one of the most common reasons patients seek care from an orthopedic specialist. While some cases are mild and temporary, others may indicate an underlying joint condition that requires evaluation.

At MD Spine Care Orthopaedics in San Antonio, we evaluate knee pain to identify the root cause and recommend appropriate treatment options based on each patient’s condition.

Common Causes of Knee Pain When Walking

Several conditions may cause knee pain during walking or activity.

Some of the most common include:

When Is Knee Pain a Concern?

While mild knee discomfort may improve with rest, certain symptoms may indicate a more serious condition.

You should consider seeing an orthopedic specialist in San Antonio if you experience:

Knee pain lasting more than several weeks
Swelling or stiffness in the joint
Pain that worsens with activity
Instability or the feeling that your knee may “give out”
Difficulty walking or bearing weight

How Knee Pain Is Diagnosed

A proper diagnosis begins with a comprehensive evaluation.

Your orthopedic specialist may:

Review your symptoms and medical history
Perform a physical examination
Assess joint stability and range of motion
Recommend imaging such as X-rays or MRI if needed

This helps identify whether the pain is related to cartilage damage, ligament injury, inflammation, or another underlying issue.

Treatment Options for Knee Pain

Treatment depends on the cause and severity of the condition.

Many patients improve with non-surgical care, including:

Physical therapy
Activity modification
Anti-inflammatory medications
Joint injections

If conservative treatment does not provide relief, further interventions may be considered based on your condition.

When to See an Orthopedic Specialist in San Antonio

If knee pain continues to interfere with your daily activities, an evaluation can help determine the cause and guide appropriate treatment.

Early diagnosis can help prevent worsening symptoms and improve long-term joint health.

Schedule a Knee Evaluation in San Antonio

If you are experiencing knee pain when walking, the team at MD Spine Care Orthopaedics in San Antonio can help.

Schedule a consultation to receive a personalized evaluation and treatment plan tailored to your needs.

Telehealth: The Advantages of Telemedicine

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 11:47:43 GMT

Struggles to get to the clinic? Trying to reduce your exposure to COVID-19, as well as other contagious illnesses, and still need to see your doctor? Telehealth is safe and easy — receive quality care from anywhere.

Afraid of surgery? Don't be!

Tue, 21 Jul 2020 19:05:25 GMT

Once upon a time, the process and even just the word surgery, was a terrifying thought. Unfortunately the word surgery still has that stigma for many. Today, we see patients taking excessive medication or other types of therapy that will only prolong their symptoms. In reality, surgery or surgical procedures can offer a quick and simple way to relieve many ailments.

The term minimally invasive surgery has become the go to technique for many minor procedures. This puts an emphasis on how little the process will interfere in the patients basic functioning and lifestyle. These procedures can often be done without hospitalization and minimal recovery time, having you back up and running in a matter of days.

Advancements in technology have played a big role in allowing surgeons to offer these less invasive procedures to patients.

Robotic Assisted
Real Time Imaging
Predictive Modeling

For spine or orthopaedic care, minimally invasive surgical techniques are becoming the standard in premium surgical care. The advancements in these procedures allow the surgeon to approach the problem area from a position that will allow the least amount of disruption to the body. Past surgical technique would approach the problem straight on, but damage the surrounding nerves and muscles needed to aid in healing, and ultimately leading to much longer recovery times, and possibly even limited recovery.

Our surgical care team focuses on the technique that will benefit your future livelihood. When surgery is your best option, know you are in good hands with MD Spine Care.

Shoulder Pain - How Serious is It?

Sun, 19 Jul 2020 19:08:12 GMT

Shoulder pain can be extremely disruptive to your normal daily functioning. Yet some may be uncertain whether it is a pain that will go away over time. Some injuries are less painful during the day but become more bothersome when sleeping on it or during certain movements. However, ignoring the problem will not make it go away.

If it is a fairly new and tolerable pain, home treatments of rest, an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen, and limiting activity may help. Are you concerned that it is something serious and wondering if you should see a doctor? Well honestly, if you are asking this question then the answer is yes.

Pain in your shoulder with basic daily movements such as brushing your hair or putting on your shirt could indicate a tear or other type of structural injury. If your pain is consistent and has lasted for several days you should see a shoulder specialist sooner than later, as your condition can worsen and could become harder to treat. Here are some common shoulder problems that can be treated by a specialist:

Rotator Cuff Tear: An injury such as a rotator cuff tear is actually a very common shoulder injury. Falling down and catching yourself with an outstretched arm, or lifting something heavy can cause the tear. Alternatively, it may develop over time with repetitive activities that include shoulder motion. It can also just be a symptom of aging and the degeneration of tissue.

The pain from a rotator cuff injury may still be tolerable during the day and only hurts with certain movements or when sleeping. However, leaving this untreated can only make it worse and prolong your pain. It could be a small tear, or partial tear, but when untreated it could become a total tear. Tears will not heal on their own and many need surgery. When caught early the recovery time can decrease allowing you to get back to your normal life sooner and feeling great.

Tendonitis: Pain in the shoulder could also be from the swelling of the tendons that connect the muscles and bones. Known as tendonitis, it may also cause pain at night, especially when lying on the affected shoulder. Symptoms can include weakness and loss of motion when raising the arm above your head or behind your back and stiffness with lifting or movement.

In Tendonitis, the tendons can become overworked and eventually they become damaged. The good news is that tendonitis reacts well to treatment such as therapy and you can find relief with basic over-the-counter medication or applying heat or ice and resting the area. However there is also an opportunity to weaken the shoulder and make it more susceptible to more serious problems so be sure to ask your shoulder specialist for the best method of repair.

AC Joint Injury: Injury to the acromioclavicular joint can cause a separation from the collar bone and bone at the top of the shoulder. It can be caused by falling directly on the shoulder or taking a direct blow to the area. The pain will be felt at the top of the shoulder and can often be associated with a fractured clavicle.

Mild injuries can be easily treated, however more severe injuries can lead to extreme loss of strength and functioning. There could be a tear in the area which again, should be treated soon so that the tear does not worsen. Most patients recover with full functioning.

Dislocated Shoulder: If you feel that you have dislocated your shoulder, but yet it went right back into place it could have lasting problems to the labrum, rotator cuff, or other important structures in the shoulder. Once this injury has occurred it is common to have recurring dislocations and shoulder instability.

Seeing an orthopedic surgeon can help diagnose the problem. Minimally invasive arthroscopic shoulder stabilization is a technique that will help restore the strength and functioning of the area and significantly decrease the frequency of dislocation.

These injuries are just common examples of shoulder ailments that should be diagnosed and treated by a specialist. Ultimately it is up to you to listen to your body for signs that it is in distress. You should not be living with daily pain, it can be treated and have you back to your normal lifestyle free of pain. Make an appointment with a shoulder specialist today.

A Convenient New Location for Premium Spine & Orthopaedic Care

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 19:17:54 GMT

Two local San Antonio leaders in spine and orthopaedic care, Dr. Frank Kuwamura and Dr. David Gonzalez, have joined forces to offer premium care at a new Medical Center Location. MD Spine Care and Orthopaedics led by this innovative surgical team has added this new convenient location to serve a greater population of patients.

During a social distance approved online event, the duo gave a live online tour of the office and discussed the techniques and procedures that are offered at this new location.

“We have the objective of serving the community the best we can, and have picked this location for it’s easy access to a lot of different services available in the Medical Center,” says Dr. Gonzalez. “We can service a larger portion of San Antonio in this centrally located location.”

The Medical Center office of MD Spine Care and Orthopaedics located at 8299 Fredericksburg Road, sits just minutes from multiple emergency and surgical facilities. The region of San Antonio, called the Medical Center is a compilation of premium care facilities, hospital campuses and specialty practices centrally located off if IH-10.

The new office will be available for a wide range of treatments and diagnoses for procedures such as:

ARTHROSCOPIC SURGERY
CORTISONE INJECTIONS
HAND SURGERY
KNEE SURGERY
NECK SURGERY
OSTEOARTHRITIS
PLATELET RICH PLASMA
SHOULDER SURGERY
SPINAL FUSION
SPINAL STENOSISSPORTS MEDICINE
STEM CELL THERAPY
REGENERATIVE SPINAL SURGERY
SPINAL SURGERY
TOTAL FRACTURE CARE

The newly renovated space features six exam rooms, state-of-the-art digital imaging technology, and a casting and bracing room. The team will also focus on total body wellness with a new line of CBD products as well as regenerative medicine techniques such as stem cell and platelets rich plasma injections. “We are caring doctors that care about our patients,” says Dr. Kuwamura. “Preservation of joint and spine functioning without surgery is always our first approach.”

Dr. Kuwamura and Dr. Gonzalez are both board certified orthopaedic surgeons with decades of experience and friendship. The doctors have commonly referred patients to one another, Dr. Kuwamura is an expert in spinal procedures and Dr. Gonzalez is skilled in all aspects of orthopedic care, but specializes in shoulder care and has treated many local athletes. They are excite to be able to now work along side each other in the shared practice.

MD Spine Care and Orthopaedics is now accepting new patients with a mission of designing effective customized treatment plans, prioritizing patient comfort, and delivering long lasting results.