There are so many ways to hurt your knee. From a traumatic accident or sports injury to overuse and arthritis, knee pain is one of the most common reasons people visit their doctors. In fact, according to the Cleveland Clinic, each year about 18 million people visit a doctor or a hospital for knee pain.
The knee is the largest joint in your body. It’s made of bone, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments, with the cartilage acting as a cushion. Through injury, age, overuse, or arthritis, there are countless ways your knee could get injured. Fortunately, there are also many ways to treat knee pain, including simple strengthening and stretching exercises.
Our experts here at Texas Orthopaedic Associates can examine your knee and recommend treatment, which may include physical therapy.
Common types of knee pain
Whether you’re young or old, athletic or a couch potato, you can injure your knee. Knee pain makes it difficult to walk and participate in daily activities. The most common causes of knee pain include:
- Osteoarthritis
- Bursitis
- Tendonitis
- Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS)
- ACL tear
- Meniscus injury
How physical therapy can help your knee pain
Physical therapy for knee pain involves a combination of strengthening and stretching exercises that increase flexibility and build up the muscles surrounding the knee. Physical therapy can be prescribed on its own or in conjunction with other treatments such as heat and ice, ultrasound, injections, or surgery.
Physical therapy can help you improve your knee pain, so you don’t need surgery. However, if you do need surgery, physical therapy is also an essential part of your recovery.
The first step in developing a physical therapy routine is to assess the type and location of your knee pain. Your physical therapist assesses your gait, balance, and strength as well as your range of motion, and then develops a personalized conditioning plan.
While it most likely hurts to move your knee or to walk, you need to keep your knee active because inactivity can make things worse. Physical therapy can help you walk and move your knee safely.
Physical therapy can help to reduce knee pain, swelling, and stiffness, and it can improve your knee joint’s function. It can also make it easier for you to walk, bend, kneel, squat, and sit by enhancing the strength of the muscles surrounding your knee and slowly improving its range of motion and mobility.
If you’re one of the many people suffering from knee pain, call for an appointment with one of our orthopedic surgeons. You can also request an appointment online through this website to visit one of our offices in Dallas, Plano, or Fort Worth, Texas.
