The knee is the most complex joint in the entire body, connecting multiples bones and muscles. It’s imperative to movement and daily function, and because of this, knee injuries tend to be pretty common.
Over the span of a decade, emergency rooms will see over 6 million people for knee injuries or pain. A person can injure themselves in sports or daily life or get natural wear and tear like arthritis. This can lead to surgery or long-term effects.
Whatever the case with your knee injury or impairment, it’s important to know what the best path of action is when it comes to rehabilitation. And it’s different for each injury.
General Knee Pain
General knee pain can occur for a variety of reasons: exercise, overuse, injury. Your knee could get swollen from you landing on it too hard or moving your body in a way the knee doesn’t like.
Physical therapy is good for a variety of reasons and will be able to help in any of the situations we have listed here. Many doctors recommend physical therapy because of all of its benefits: increased muscle stamina, increased flexibility, treatment of a variety of issues and restoration of muscle use.
Physical therapy can come in many forms, but in most cases, doctors will assign at-home activities you can do, such as leg raises and balance activities. If at any point you feel like PT is making your knee worse, you should contact your physician. However, it’s normal to feel sore after PT—in most cases that actually means it’s working.
Knee Replacement and Surgery
Surgery is an exhausting process, especially if it comes to repairing a muscle. The recovery time after a knee surgery can last weeks to months, so make sure to follow all of the doctor’s orders and ice your knee as much as possible. Avoid doing too much, and consider doing most or all of your work from home.
Once you’ve completed the healing process of your rehabilitation timeline, you can begin to ease into PT exercises at home or at the doctor’s office. Come in clothes that make you comfortable and allow your legs and knee to be moved easily.
Remember to take your time and focus on just getting basic movement back before expecting your knee to be like it used to. It could take up to a year—or even longer—for it ever to be the same.
Knee Arthritis
Unfortunately, as we get older, arthritis happens to many of us. Arthritis is the wear and tear of cartilage around an area that causes it to become painful and achy. Most, however, probably wouldn’t know that a great way to assist with knee arthritis is PT.
The main things you want to do is strengthen your knee muscles and increase your range of motion when it comes to preventing and maintaining arthritis in the knee. If you’re overweight, consider losing weight. Avoid high-impact exercises like running or jumping and extended exercises like squatting to control pain.
Knee Tendonitis
Knee tendonitis, or jumper’s knee, can be especially painful and annoying to those who are active. This injury often occurs in people who do jumping activities or consistently land heavily on their knees. It often doesn’t require surgery if allowed to heal properly.
Once the knee has been rested, the treatment plan is all about gradually restoring movement back into the knee, which could involve light stretching and movements for the beginning of your PT experience. Each case is different, and your doctor should work with you to determine the best course of action for you.
PT and Your Knee
Physical therapy can work wonders for your knee no matter what condition it’s in. Contact us today to see how we can help you achieve a healthier knee.
