Knee Pain Relief in Surprise, AZ
Knee pain on the stairs, a knee that clicks or catches, swelling by evening, or a knee that feels like it might give way: at Legg Chiropractic and Acupuncture in Surprise, AZ, Dr. Derek M. Legg, D.C., M.P.H. examines the knee together with the hip above it and the ankle below it, because the knee is usually the joint paying for a problem somewhere else. Care is conservative and reversible: extremity adjustments where motion is restricted, dry needling and acupuncture for the guarding muscles, and the two or three exercises that train the hip and the ankle to do their share again. New self pay patients start with the $49 first visit.
Why does my knee hurt?
The knee is a hinge between two joints that rotate. The hip above it and the ankle below it are built to turn; the knee is built to bend and straighten. When a hip stiffens or an ankle stops moving well, every step asks the knee to twist instead, and the front of the knee, the kneecap and the outer thigh take the load. That is the pattern behind most of the knee pain we see that did not start with an injury. Arthritis, a worn meniscus, and ligament sprains are the other common causes, and the examination is how they are told apart.
Can a chiropractor help with knee pain?
For many patients, yes, as part of conservative care. The examination checks how the knee bends and tracks, the hip and the ankle, and the muscles that guard the knee. Treatment is an extremity adjustment of the hip, knee or ankle where motion is restricted, the low back and pelvis when they are driving it, dry needling of the quadriceps, hamstring, calf and outer thigh trigger points that pull on the kneecap, and acupuncture for the pain and swelling response, in one visit. For knee osteoarthritis, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health lists acupuncture among the approaches with evidence it may help with pain. No honest provider promises a result; the plan is measured at each re-examination. Results may vary.
What does a knee examination look like?
Dr. Legg starts with your history: when it started, an injury or a slow build, what makes it worse, and what you want to get back to. The examination checks how the knee bends and straightens, how the kneecap tracks, the hip and the ankle for restricted motion, the muscles for trigger points, and the ligaments and meniscus for signs that need imaging. Digital X-rays are taken in the office only when the examination raises a question a film can answer. Plan on about 45 minutes, and you leave treated, not just evaluated.
When does knee pain need a physician first?
A knee that is hot, swollen and comes with a fever, a knee that cannot bear weight after an injury, a knee that is locked and will not straighten, or a knee that gave way with a pop and swelled within hours belongs with a physician and imaging first. If the examination here points to a torn ligament or meniscus, you are referred for imaging and an orthopedic opinion on day one, not after a plan.
What does treatment for knee pain include?
Three things, chosen from the examination and never as a routine. Extremity adjustments of the hip, the knee and the ankle where motion is restricted, and the spinal adjustment when the low back or pelvis is part of the pattern. Dry needling and acupuncture for the muscles guarding the knee, sometimes with electrical stimulation. And corrective exercise: two or three movements taught in the office that train the hip and the ankle to rotate again so the knee can stop twisting. The adjustment and the needle work happen in the same visit.
Does acupuncture help knee pain?
For knee osteoarthritis the National Institutes of Health's complementary health center lists acupuncture among the approaches with evidence it may help with pain. Here it is paired with the adjustment and dry needling in the same visit rather than used alone, and the examination decides whether it fits your case.
Does Medicare or insurance cover knee treatment?
Medicare covers medically necessary chiropractic spinal adjustments only. An adjustment of the knee, the hip or the ankle is an extremity adjustment and is not covered by Medicare; neither are acupuncture, dry needling and X-rays ordered by a chiropractor. Those are self pay and quoted in writing before treatment. Some commercial plans cover extremity adjustments and some do not, so we verify your benefits after the first visit and before the second. See the insurance plans we accept and our Medicare page.
How many visits will I need?
It depends on how long the knee has been irritated and what the hip and the ankle are doing. Some patients notice a change in the first two or three visits; others are on a longer plan with their orthopedic physician alongside. Dr. Legg gives you a specific plan and its price at your report of findings on visit two, with a stopping point, and you decide. No plan is sold on the first visit and there are no contracts.
What can I do at home for knee pain?
Keep walking, since a knee that stops moving stiffens faster than most people expect. Use ice for a swollen knee and heat for a stiff one, twenty minutes at a time with a cloth on the skin, and do the two or three movements taught in the office on the days you are not here. Avoid deep squats and running hills until the re-examination says the hip and the ankle are doing their share. The general version is on our what to do after your adjustment page.
Related care
Knee pain often travels with hip pain, sciatica and radiating pain that runs down to the knee, and low back pain. Athletes and runners can read our athletes page. Browse every condition we treat and all of our services, or read what happens at your first visit.
Who you will see
Dr. Derek M. Legg, D.C., M.P.H. earned his Doctor of Chiropractic at Logan University and his Master of Public Health at Grand Canyon University, is Certified in Acupuncture by the Arizona Board of Chiropractic Examiners, and was selected by his peers as a 2026 Top Chiropractor by PHOENIX magazine. You see Dr. Legg himself at every visit. Legg Chiropractic and Acupuncture is at 13757 W Bell Rd #101, Surprise, AZ 85374, located within Sheitelman Physical Medicine on West Bell Road, minutes from Sun City West, Sun City, El Mirage and Peoria. Walk in Monday through Thursday, 9:00 to 5:30, call (623) 214-7600, or schedule online.
Legg Chiropractic and Acupuncture, 13757 W Bell Rd #101, Surprise, AZ 85374. Call (623) 214-7600. Reviewed by Dr. Derek M. Legg, D.C., M.P.H. Last reviewed October 3, 2026. Source for the acupuncture statement: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Acupuncture: What You Need To Know (nccih.nih.gov).
$49 offer details: the $49 first visit price applies to new self pay patients and includes the consultation, chiropractic examination, digital X-rays if clinically necessary, a first adjustment, and a first acupuncture and dry needling treatment. The offer does not apply to Medicare, private insurance claims, workers' compensation cases, or auto accident and personal injury cases. Limited to one visit per new patient. Results may vary.