TAP TO CALL AND BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT

What We Treat

Back pain
Knee pain
Hip pain
Shoulder pain
Head and Neck pain
Ankle and Foot pain
Elbow and Wrist pain

Find out more about how we connect the dots from the deepest root & eliminate your pain from the source below!

What We Treat

Back pain
Knee pain
Hip pain
Shoulder pain
Head and Neck pain
Ankle and Foot pain
Elbow and Wrist pain

Find out more about how we connect the dots from the deepest root & eliminate your pain from the source below!

What We Treat

Back pain
Knee pain
Hip pain
Shoulder pain
Head and Neck pain
Ankle and Foot pain
Elbow and Wrist pain

Find out more about how we connect the dots from the deepest root & eliminate your pain from the source below!

What We Treat

Back pain
Knee pain
Hip pain
Shoulder pain
Head and Neck pain
Ankle and Foot pain
Elbow and Wrist pain

Find out more about how we connect the dots from the deepest root & eliminate your pain from the source below!

What We Treat

Back pain
Knee pain
Hip pain
Shoulder pain
Head and Neck pain
Ankle and Foot pain
Elbow and Wrist pain

Find out more about how we connect the dots from the deepest root & eliminate your pain from the source below!

What We Treat

Back pain
Knee pain
Hip pain
Shoulder pain
Head and Neck pain
Ankle and Foot pain
Elbow and Wrist pain

Find out more about how we connect the dots from the deepest root & eliminate your pain from the source below!

What We Treat

Back pain
Knee pain
Hip pain
Shoulder pain
Head and Neck pain
Ankle and Foot pain
Elbow and Wrist pain

Find out more about how we connect the dots from the deepest root & eliminate your pain from the source below!

The Only Way to
Long-Term Pain Relief

Knee pain can make everyday movement frustrating and limiting. Walking, squatting, running, climbing stairs, or training can all become uncomfortable when the knee is not tolerating load the way it should.

Some knee pain starts after a specific injury. Other times it develops gradually from repetitive stress, training demands, or movement patterns that place excess strain on the joint over time. In many cases, the knee itself is not the only factor. How the hips, ankles, and trunk work together plays a major role in how force is absorbed and controlled at the knee.

At Next Level, we work with people who seek physical therapy for knee pain when symptoms persist, performance declines, or pain keeps returning despite rest or previous treatment. Our approach focuses on identifying why stress is accumulating at the knee and correcting the movement, strength, and control deficits contributing to it.

Whether pain is sharp or aching, activity related or constant, effective treatment looks beyond the knee alone and addresses how the entire system is functioning.

Conditions Treated

  • Meniscus Tear
  • ACL Injury
  • Runner’s Knee
  • Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
  • Patellar Tendinitis
  • Jumper’s Knee
  • Arthritis and Joint Pain
  • Post Surgical Knee Pain
  • Collateral Ligament Injury
  • Patellar Maltracking
  • Chondromalacia Patella
  • Bursitis
  • Tendon Tears
  • TFL Syndrome
  • Osgood Schlatter’s Disease
  • Knee Dislocation
  • Recurrent Knee Pain
  • Overuse Knee Injuries
Pain-Free Secrets Guide 2.0
Our new guide dives deeper into the Next Level System, giving you clear, actionable strategies to eliminate pain, improve movement, and achieve lasting results.
Click Here To Get Free Access Now!
Athlete's Guide
Unlock your full potential with our free guide for athletes. Learn how to move better, prevent injuries, and perform pain-free with the proven Next Level System.
Click Here To Get Free Access Now!
End Back Pain Guide
Discover the proven steps to finally end back pain for good. This free guide reveals the root causes of pain and how to move, strengthen, and recover with confidence.
Click Here To Get Free Access Now!
get rid of your knee pain for good

Are you ready to get to the root cause of your knee pain?

Take the first step into your pain-free life by clicking the button below.
Request an Appointment
`

BLOG

View More
Your Guide To Returning To Squatting After A Knee Injury
If you are pushing your limits in strength training and challenging your ability to produce or absorb high levels of force, you are not always going to feel great physically. Exercise is a form of stress on the body. That stress can be positive or negative depending on how well your body is able to respond and adapt to it. Everyone’s capacity to tolerate and adapt to physical stress is different and depends on many variables. This is why two people can follow the same training program and have completely different outcomes. When chasing a heavier squat, it is common for symptoms to show up in or around the knee during periods of higher load or increased intensity. This is often labeled an overuse injury, which simply means that the total stress placed on the knee exceeded what it could currently tolerate and adapt to. If your knee pain improves with rest but returns as soon as training volume or intensity increases, rest alone is not the solution. Rest can help reduce symptoms and allow tissue recovery, but it does not teach your knee how to handle increasing forces or adapt to different loading strategies. Below are some of my go to methods and the reasoning behind them to help build a more resilient knee when returning to squatting after a training related knee injury. 1) Use cable assisted split squats to improve the ability for the knee to absorb force [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1p8nYAR4zM[/embed] Split squats are a useful way to train each leg with a bias toward the front leg. While both feet remain on the ground, the front leg takes on the majority of the load. Using a front foot elevated variation shifts some weight toward the back leg, often creating a roughly fifty five percent to forty five percent distribution. This reduces stress on the front knee while still allowing meaningful loading. Adding a cable provides slight unloading of body weight and helps distribute force more evenly between the knee, hip, and ankle. This makes it easier to train deeper ranges of motion than traditional bilateral squatting may allow early on. This variation is especially helpful when rebuilding confidence in knee loading and retraining the knee to absorb force without placing all of the stress in one area. 2) Use regular split squats to load the knee more aggressively  A standard split squat without front foot elevation allows the shin to move farther forward over the ankle. This increases the amount of force going through the knee. I typically introduce this variation once someone can perform front foot elevated split squats comfortably and without hesitation. At this stage, I often emphasize higher rep sets, usually in the twelve to fifteen rep range, with moderate load. This helps build both capacity and confidence before progressing further. 3) Reintroduce bilateral squatting with an emphasis on absorbing force first  [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjk8LYtZy34[/embed] Once unilateral loading is well tolerated, it is time to bring back symmetrical squatting patterns. The box squat is a great option at this stage. It allows you to control depth, manage load, and focus on absorbing force on the way down. Start by using a box height that feels comfortable and allows a controlled descent. Sit fully onto the box, pause briefly, then push the floor away to stand back up. Progression can be as simple as gradually lowering the box height over time to increase range of motion as your knee tolerance improves. 4) Reintroduce training load of squatting without any constraints After improving knee tolerance through multiple loading strategies, the final step is returning to your actual squat pattern without external constraints. This step is critical. According to Physical Stress Theory, the body must be exposed to the specific stresses of the task you want to perform in order to adapt to it. Your knee needs exposure to the real demands of your squat to fully regain resilience. This is where you gradually build back toward your normal training loads while monitoring symptoms and recovery. Final Takeaway Knee pain related to squatting and overuse is common. While rest can play a role in managing symptoms, it is not a substitute for progressive exposure to load. A resilient knee is one that can absorb and produce force in many different ways. By gradually rebuilding capacity through thoughtful progressions, you give your knee the best chance to adapt and tolerate the demands of heavy squatting again. Try the strategies outlined above and reach out to a qualified coach or physical therapist if you need guidance tailored to your specific situation.
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS): It May Not Be About Your Knee
If you are here to read about your knee, you have come to the wrong place. We are not here to talk about your hips and ankles either. Well, not entirely true. We are really here to talk about your diagnosis: patellofemoral pain syndrome, or PFPS, which typically describes pain in the front of the knee. Unfortunately, PFPS is more of a description than a true diagnosis. Before diving deeper, let’s briefly review the relevant anatomy. A joint exists anywhere two bones meet, and the knee is no exception. The knee joint is formed by the femur, or thigh bone, and the tibia, or shin bone. While it may look like the knee moves like a simple hinge, it does not. Like every joint in the body, the knee relies on rotation. As you straighten your knee, the femur rotates inward while the tibia rotates outward. When you bend your knee, the opposite occurs. The top of the tibia is relatively flat, while the bottom of the femur resembles two rounded surfaces resting on it. Ligaments and muscles work together to keep the joint stable. Although many muscles influence knee position, the quadriceps are often the main focus in PFPS discussions because the patella, or kneecap, sits within the quadriceps tendon itself. Now that we understand the anatomy, here is the part that matters most. Why Force Management Matters More Than Anatomy What truly matters in PFPS is not the knee structure itself, but how forces move through your body. Every time your foot contacts the ground, force travels up the leg and through the body. To move forward, you must then push force back into the ground. This is walking. When done at higher speeds, it becomes running. The same principles apply to strength training, even when your feet stay planted. How efficiently your body absorbs and redistributes force determines how much stress is placed on the knee, muscles, ligaments, and surrounding tissues. There is no need to fear normal tissue stress. Strain is a natural and necessary part of being human. It is how tissues adapt and become stronger. The issue arises when the amount of stress exceeds your ability to recover from it. You can think of this like a budget. Small withdrawals are normal and manageable. Over time, if withdrawals exceed deposits, you slowly go into debt. That accumulated debt is what often shows up as pain. Why PFPS Does Not Explain the Real Problem PFPS tells you where your pain is located, not why it exists. Because of this, the label itself offers very little guidance on how to actually resolve it. The most common advice given for PFPS is to strengthen the quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and glutes. The reasoning is that stronger muscles will better tolerate force and reduce strain on the knee. Strength training absolutely matters, but this approach is often incomplete. Strong muscles are only useful if they activate at the right time, in the right sequence, and in coordination with the rest of the body. Strength alone does not guarantee proper force distribution. Many people do find relief through strengthening programs. However, if you have already gone down that path and are still dealing with pain, something important was missed. Even the presence of old injuries such as meniscus tears, arthritis, or ligament damage may not be the main driver of your symptoms. Improving how your body manages and distributes force through the knee can lead to meaningful improvements, even when structural issues exist. The Takeaway If you have persistent pain in the front of your knee, PFPS does not mean you are stuck with it forever. Mechanical pain always has a source. When the focus shifts away from isolated structures and toward improving how forces move through your body, real change becomes possible. With the right approach, anterior knee pain can absolutely be resolved.
Why Stretching Isn’t Working: Hamstring Edition
Stretching is something most of us do, but have we ever stopped to think about why. Usually the logic is simple. The muscle feels tight, so we stretch it. If a muscle is tight because it is shortened, stretching it to make it longer makes sense. But what if the reason a muscle feels tight has nothing to do with it actually being shortened. If that is the case, how effective is stretching really. Let’s use the hamstrings as an example to explain this idea more clearly. And do not worry. At the end of this article, I will still show you my top three exercises to fix “tight” hamstrings.   Why Everyone Thinks Their Hamstrings Are Tight Almost everyone believes they have tight hamstrings, and almost everyone stretches them. Common ways hamstrings are assessed include the active straight leg raise and the toe touch. Many of us also remember the sit and reach test from physical education class growing up. If you could not lift your leg high enough, touch your toes, or reach far down the ruler, you were told you had tight hamstrings and needed to stretch them. But just because something feels tight does not mean stretching is the solution. How many people have stretched their hamstrings consistently and seen little to no lasting change. If stretching does not change anything long term, maybe the hamstrings are not actually shortened and stretching is not the answer. A common response is, “But I really feel tension in the back of my leg when I try to touch my toes or when my leg is lifted.” That feeling is real. The tension is real. The reason for it is just often misunderstood. To understand why, we need to talk about position. Understanding Hamstring Anatomy The hamstrings originate at the ischial tuberosity of the pelvis, often referred to as the sit bone. They cross the knee joint and attach to the tibia and fibula in the lower leg. An easy way to visualize the hamstrings is to think of them like a rubber band running from the pelvis down to the back of the lower leg. When you lift your leg during a straight leg raise, the hamstrings are lengthened and tension increases. However, because the hamstrings attach to the pelvis, the position of the pelvis plays a major role in how much tension is already present. Pelvis Position Changes Everything Now let’s talk about pelvic position. If someone stands, sits, or lies down in an anterior pelvic tilt, the pelvis is tipped forward. When the pelvis is tipped forward, the hamstrings are already placed under tension. In other words, the rubber band is already stretched before you even move. So when you go to touch your toes or lift your leg, you feel tension much earlier. Your nervous system interprets this as approaching a limit and creates a protective response by stopping the movement. This is not because the hamstrings are short. It is because they are already lengthened due to pelvic position. Figure 5 illustrates this clearly. With a neutral pelvis, the hamstrings sit at a more optimal resting length. With an anteriorly tilted pelvis, the hamstrings are visibly longer and already under tension. When you then try to stretch further, your body says no. Why Stretching Often Fails If your hamstrings already feel stretched due to pelvic position, stretching them more does not solve the problem. In many cases, it simply reinforces the same limitation. This is why some people can stretch daily and never see meaningful changes in flexibility. Before forcing more stretching or having someone push you deeper into a toe touch, it is worth looking at position first. If you improve pelvic alignment or get out of an overly extended posture, you may find that hamstring mobility improves without stretching at all. This often leads to better movement, less pain if pain is present, and reduced injury risk. A Quick Disclaimer This is not an argument that stretching is bad. Stretching can improve tissue quality, elasticity, and durability. It absolutely has a place. However, if stretching has not improved your hamstring mobility, there is a good chance you are addressing the wrong problem. Sometimes the solution is not to stretch harder, but to change position first. If you want to learn how to do that, click below to see my top three exercises to fix “tight” hamstrings.
Why Bands Aren’t Helping Weak Hips
Many people are told that their knee pain, hip pain, or low back pain is caused by weak hips. This conclusion is often made after strength testing shows difficulty activating muscles like the glutes, which play a major role in hip and pelvis stability. The most common solution is banded hip strengthening. This usually looks like placing a resistance band around the knees for side steps, monster walks, or clamshells. While these exercises are popular, they often fall short and do not lead to meaningful pain relief or long term improvement. Let’s look at why that might be, and what a more effective approach actually looks like. Understanding the Length Tension Relationship All muscles operate under what is known as the length tension relationship. This means the amount of force a muscle can produce depends on the length it starts at. A simple way to understand this is by thinking about a pull up. Starting from a dead hang at the bottom is very difficult. If you start with your elbows already bent, the movement feels much easier. At the very top of the pull up, the last portion is also challenging. The strongest point is somewhere in the middle of the movement. This happens because muscles produce the most force when they are neither fully stretched nor fully shortened. Much like the Goldilocks principle, the middle range is just right. What Is Happening Inside the Muscle Muscle fibers contain tiny structures called actin and myosin. These filaments overlap and interact to create contraction. Myosin heads attach to actin and pull, shortening the muscle. When a muscle is overly stretched, there is less overlap between actin and myosin, making it harder to generate force. When a muscle is fully shortened, there is very little room left for further contraction. In both cases, force production is reduced. Maximum strength occurs when the muscle starts in the middle of its available range, where overlap is optimal. Why Your Hips May Appear Weak Now let’s apply this to the hips. Sometimes hip weakness is real. However, very often the issue is not true weakness but the position the hips are resting in. If the glutes are already held in a shortened or contracted position, they will struggle to squeeze any further. This presents as weakness during testing. On the other hand, if the glutes are excessively lengthened, they may not be able to generate enough force either. These resting positions are influenced by pelvic position. Tight or loose muscles are often the result of the position they are held in, not the original cause of the problem. This is something that can be identified with a proper movement assessment. Why Bands Often Miss the Mark If hip position is the underlying issue, adding a resistance band and doing more strengthening does not solve the problem. In fact, if someone is already in an over contracted state, banded exercises can make things worse by reinforcing poor starting positions. This can further limit force production and continue to feed pain patterns. This is why many people perform band exercises consistently and never feel stronger or more stable. A Better Approach The first priority should be restoring the hips to a more neutral position so they can operate in that strong middle range. Once the hips are in a better position, strengthening exercises become far more effective. At that point, resistance training reinforces good mechanics instead of fighting against them. The exact exercises needed depend on how the hips and pelvis are positioned at baseline. This requires an individualized assessment to determine whether muscles are starting in a contracted or lengthened state and what needs to change to restore balance. After that, strength training can be layered on safely and productively. Whether you are dealing with knee pain, hip pain, low back pain, or simply feel like your performance has plateaued, addressing hip position is often the missing piece. When that foundation is restored, strength gains come more easily and pain is far more likely to resolve.

Testimonials

See How We Created Massive Transformations For People Just Like You
View More
Mike S.
"I was going back and forth about potential knee surgery… but working with Next Level kept me on the field... I didn't miss a single game. That consistency is a huge reason I've had so much success in my career.”
Shawn A.
"The one-on-one care is what sets this place apart. Next Level looked at the big picture—my movement, my measurements, the root cause... not only did the pain go away, but my hip and shoulder issues cleared up too."
Charlie B.
"I had double hip surgery and spent years in constant pain, just walking around hurt. I felt like I was on a hamster wheel with every other PT… If you’ve been stuck like I was, you’re going to feel the difference here."
Maggie B.

“Being on my feet all day was miserable. At Next Level, they actually walk you through the exercises on the spot and make sure you understand everything. My mood, my energy, everything is better now.”

Reviews

Rob L.
Powerlifter

As a 46 yr old competitive power lifter and police officer I was very skeptical that anyone could help me with the serious pain in my knees. After the pain in my right knee started to effect my daily life and my mobility resulting in a close call at the gym I decided to take a chance on next level. From day one I knew I was in the right place. Dr. Ben understood my goals and concerns. I was surprised how much he knew about power lifting. Starting out slow he watched some of my videos and was able to break them down. Working on my flexibility he had me squatting without pain in a few weeks. During training I had a setback with my shoulder but Dr Ben was able to quickly adjust and had me ready for a meet in a couple weeks where I set records in my class and federation. This is not a place where they take your money and have you squeeze a ball for ten minutes. They are the real thing. I’m very grateful that I gave them a try!

Mike B.
Runner

I am a 52 year old runner and coach. I was experiencing knee pain and lower leg weakness about 8 weeks into my training for the Shamrock Marathon (my first marathon in 10 years). I saw that Next Level Physical Therapy had opened in Southampton, PA and made an appointment to be evaluated. Dr Artem Imnadze was great to work with. After discussing my symptoms & history and physical evaluation we started to design a program to that would not just get me to the starting line but would allow me to continue running. Success!. I was able to finished the marathon within my goal time. I will continue to follow up with Dr Imnadze as needed for continued healthy running. Nicolette was great at getting me scheduled around my work schedule and always greeted me with a smile. I highly recommend Next Level Physical Therapy!

Marla G.
Active Adult

If I can give 10 stars, I will. This team is the gold standard of physical therapy services.

I am 53 and quite active. I love zumba, hiphop, biking, swimming and walking. However, I have had many unaddressed injuries in the past which finally caught up with me. I found myself with progressive knee and hip pain on my right side to the point that I wake up in the middle of the night with throbbing pain and unable to sleep. I still managed to do my regular brisk walks but I tried to stay away from dancing. I also felt pain going up and down the stairs, so I had to hold on to the railing and proceed one step at a time going down, or having to pull myself when going up the stairs. I avoided sitting or squat down to the floor because it was so difficult to get up. I would have to get on all fours and pull myself up.
Xrays showed nothing wrong with my knee and hip, so physical therapy was prescribed. I have tried a couple of physical therapy facilities where I was on heat packs, ice packs, a water massage bed, TENS device and the usual exercises. I was given a piece of paper with exercises to do at home. Nothing seemed to help. I just chalked this up to getting old, as my friends also complained about body aches and pains.
One day, I saw a Youtube advertisement about Next Level Physical Therapy. While I felt that they were really geared towards athletes,, I decided to just sign up for a discovery visit. I thought this would be my final attempt at physical therapy. I met with Dr. Leor who explained their holistic approach and how it is different from the usual physical therapy sessions that people go to. Since I have and engineering background, we talked a lot about physics and how the body follows the tensegrity structural principle. I decided to get a more comprehensive assessment the following week and signed up for the program. I could tell this would be a different experience from my previous PT sessions.
Dr. Leor was the one who worked with me. He created a personalized plan to address my issues. He is very knowledgeable and takes the time to explain each of the techniques, why he is asking me to do them and which muscles I should feel engaging in the movement. In addition to his scientific know-how, he is also intuitive in that he is able to connect the dots as to what is causing my pain. He is very patient and makes sure that the movement are executed correctly. When I run into movements that will cause pain on my knee or hip, he would figure out how to adjust the position (or the exercise) to make sure I was executing it without pain. Halfway through my program, I felt less knee and hip pain, I felt a lot stronger and moved a lot better. I learned how to do resets if I had some soreness. By the end of the program, my hip and knee are pain-free, I can squat and stand up with no problem at all, I have regained my inner strength and confidence and I am back to Zumba, hiphop and Bollywood dancing. Next Level has really brought me to a level I never thought possible. Thank you, Dr Leor and team!
Do try them out! Your search is over. They will be the last physical therapists you would need to see.

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT