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Beating pain in the knee with physical therapy

Author: Eli Bryant
by Eli Bryant
Posted: Sep 25, 2021

The knee is an essential joint of the human body responsible for climbing, walking, and running. Any disease or injury to the knee joint can develop pain in the knee. The knee pain can vary from mild to severe. Pain in the knee can affect your movement, balance, range of motion, stability, and overall health condition.

If you are experiencing pain in the knee from a long time, you should visit a local doctor. Avoiding any knee pain can affect your ability to do your regular work and favorite activities. It can also make you weak and unstable. By working with a healthcare expert or physical therapist, issues with knee pain may be avoided.

People with knee pain may experience:

The severity and location of knee pain may differ according to the causes of knee pain. Symptoms and signs of knee pain include:

  • Weakness

  • Instability

  • Unable to stand and walk due to pain

  • Stiffness

  • Swelling in or around knee joint

  • Crunching or popping sound

  • Redness

  • Difficulty to fully straighten the knee

Some knee injuries can affect tendons, ligaments, or bursae that surround your knee joint. Some other common factors and conditions that can develop pain in the knee include:

  • Knee bursitis

  • Torn meniscus

  • Fracture

  • ACL injury

  • Patellar tendinitis

  • Dislocated kneecap

  • Illiotibial band syndrome

  • Loose body

  • Foot or hip injury

  • Gout

  • Pseudogout

  • Osteoarthritis

  • Rheumatoid arthritis

  • Septic arthritis

  • Lack of muscle flexibility

  • Excess body weight

  • Overuse of knee joint

If you are experiencing pain in the knee due to these issues, your doctor or physical therapists may recommend physical therapy to handle knee pain.

Physical therapy can help you to get relief from knee pain

Physical therapy is one of the best treatment approaches that can help you understand the cause of your knee pain and eliminate it from the root. PT is a traditional and practical approach that includes a combination of hands-on therapy and physical exercises. Physical therapy can treat a wide range of injuries without medication, injection, and invasive surgical procedures.

What to expect from PT for knee pain

If you are referred to Physical therapists for your knee issue, an appointment with a physical therapist is essential to ensure proper management and correct diagnosis. During your visit, the physical therapist may check your previous medical history and report. They may ask various questions related to your knee pain. The physical therapist may perform various assessment tests to check different attributes. The assessment and examination may consist of different sections, including:

Range of motion measurements: A physiotherapist may utilize different instruments to check how your knee is moving.

Palpation: It is a process in which physiotherapists utilize their hands to touch different structures around the knee to understand abnormalities.

Strength measurements: The physiotherapist utilizes various tools to check if muscular imbalance or weakness is causing your knee pain.

Swelling or girth measurements: Sometimes, knee pain and discomfort are caused by swelling around the knee. The physiotherapist assesses to measure the amount of swelling.

Assessment of your balance: A physiotherapist may also use various instruments to measure your balance.

Special test: They also perform special tests to check which part may be at fault and maybe developing issues.

After performing assessment and diagnosis tests, your physiotherapist will develop a personalized physical therapy plan to treat your knee pain. Personalized physical therapy will help you manage your knee pain and restore your ability to do your everyday tasks without any pain. A physiotherapist will teach you different exercises and activities to strengthen the core muscles that support knee joints.

Your PT program may include:
  • Electric stimulation

  • Ultrasound therapy

  • Massage therapy

  • Hot and cold therapy

  • Knee joint mobilization

  • Kinesiology taping

  • ROM training

  • Stretching exercises

  • Strengthening exercises

Benefits of physical therapy
  • Improve the range of motion

  • Find the root cause of knee pain

  • Work on balance

  • Decrease the pain, stiffness, and swelling

  • Improve the muscle strength

  • Enhance the flexibility

  • Improve the blood flow and promote natural healing

  • Improve the recovery speed and outcome

  • Offer rehab after surgery

  • Prepare for knee surgery

  • Improve the posture

  • Prevent future injuries and pain

  • Prevent age-related issue

  • Develop mobility

  • Restore body function

  • Eliminate the symptoms of knee disease or disability

  • Avoid surgery, medication treatment, and injection

  • Treat a wide range of injury

  • Offer home-based exercises and activities

  • Improve the quality of your life

About the Author

Eli Bryant is a home improvement enthusiast. The goal is to provide accurate insight and knowledge about a healthy home to the audience in an engaging fashion.

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Author: Eli Bryant

Eli Bryant

Member since: Sep 21, 2021
Published articles: 2

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