Heal Knee Pain with FAST™

Knee pain doesn’t just slow you down — it changes the way you move through your entire day. Whether it’s discomfort walking down stairs, stiffness getting up from a chair, swelling after activity, or the fear of another flare-up, knee pain can gradually take over your confidence and mobility. And when the pain keeps returning or feels unpredictable, it can be frustrating to know what to do next.

At New Dawn Acupuncture, I use a modern, integrative approach rooted in the FAST™ method to calm inflammation, relieve pain, and support meaningful healing of the soft tissues that stabilize and protect the knee joint. When we address the deeper structural dysfunction — not just the symptoms — your knee can finally begin to heal.

If you’re ready to start feeling better and moving comfortably again, call (202) 538-3995 to book your appointment today.

Why Knee Pain Happens

Trauma, overuse, underuse, aging, and underlying chronic health issues can all affect the knees. Because the knee is a weight-bearing joint that depends on proper alignment, strength, and healthy soft tissue, even small imbalances can become painful over time.

Below are some of the most common knee conditions I treat.

ACL/PCL Sprains & Tears

The ACL and PCL create a supportive “X” between the thigh bone and shin bone, keeping the knee aligned. When excessive force twists or torques the joint, one or both ligaments can tear — usually the ACL.

Signs of ACL/PCL injury include:

Immediate, sharp pain
A popping sound
Rapid swelling
Difficulty bearing weight

This kind of force often damages surrounding tissues as well, such as the MCL, joint capsule, or medial meniscus.

MCL/LCL Injuries

The medial and lateral collateral ligaments can be injured by impact to the knee, twisting motions, repetitive stress, or overuse. Pain is often localized to one side of the knee, accompanied by swelling, bruising, and tenderness to the touch. Many people describe a sense that the knee feels unstable or “loose.”

Medial Meniscus Injury

The medial meniscus helps cushion the knee and prevent friction. A sudden pivot, quick change of direction, or impact can tear the meniscus, making bending or straightening the knee painful. Meniscus injuries commonly occur alongside ACL injuries.

Patellar Tendinopathy

This condition is caused by overuse rather than trauma and is especially common in middle-aged and older adults. The pain sits at the base of the kneecap and often relates to biomechanics — including overpronation in the feet or anterior pelvic tilt — which place extra stress on the patellar tendon.

Popliteal (Baker’s) Cyst

A Baker’s cyst develops when the inner lining of the knee joint produces excess fluid in response to irritation or injury. The result is a noticeable mass behind the knee that creates pressure, tightness, and pain. Meniscus tears are the most common cause.

How We Treat Knee Pain

While acupuncture cannot reattach ligaments, it is highly effective for controlling pain, reducing swelling, supporting tissue repair, and improving mobility — both before and after surgery.

Before surgery, the priority is to calm inflammation and decrease fluid accumulation so recovery begins from a healthier baseline.

After surgery, the focus shifts to supporting healing, reducing new swelling, minimizing scar tissue formation, and preserving range of motion.

To accelerate this healing process, I integrate techniques from the FAST™ method, which blends acupuncture with modern, evidence-informed tools.

FAST™ treats soft tissues at the structural level — addressing micro-tears, adhesions, scar tissue, and chronic inflammation — the deeper issues most conventional treatments overlook.

A Clear, Caring Path Forward

Your healing begins with listening — understanding how this pain started, what activities it limits, and what you want to get back to doing. From there, we create a clear, personalized treatment plan that respects your time and focuses on real, lasting results.

If knee pain has been slowing you down or holding you back, you don’t have to wait for it to worsen.

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Get back to feeling like yourself

with Dawn Caudill

Call Us at (202) 538-3995

I have left each session feeling better – in a deep way.

— J.L.

What is FAST™?

FAST™ is a breakthrough technique that combines:

Cross-fiber manual therapy to break down scar tissue.

Targeted acupuncture to release tension and improve blood flow.

Photobiomodulation (laser therapy) to accelerate repair at the cellular level.

This integrative approach doesn’t just cover up symptoms. It works at the structural level to heal the true source of pain that other approaches ignore - so you can get back to doing what you love without the constant worry of re-injury or flare-ups.

How FAST™ Works

Most chronic soft tissue pain is caused by micro-tears, adhesions, and scar tissue that restrict movement, limit oxygen flow, and trigger inflammation. Standard treatments ignore this source of chronic pain, even considering these types of damage “healed” despite the continued pain.

FAST™ targets this dysfunction directly by:

Reactivating the body’s natural healing response in damaged tissues.

Stimulating collagen production and blood flow using targeted laser therapy.

Releasing tight muscles and restoring proper alignment through acupuncture and manual techniques.

Stop Managing Pain. Start Healing It.

You don’t have to live with it, and you don’t have to mask it anymore. FAST™ heals the source of chronic soft tissue pain so you can get back to your life.

It’s natural, effective, and non-invasive, stimulating your own body’s healing deep in the tissues using a combination of traditional therapies and modern science and technology.

Schedule Your Initial Consultation