How To Treat Knee Pain

Knee pain can be caused by injuries, mechanical problems, osteoarthritis, aging, hip or foot pain, and other conditions. The location and severity of knee pain may vary, depending on the origin of the problem. Signs and symptoms that sometimes accompany knee pain include:

• Swelling and stiffness
• Redness and warmth to the touch
• Weakness or instability
• Popping or crunching noises
• Inability to fully straighten the knee

Once a physician has examined the knee and determined the best course of treatment, the next step may be physical therapy, a crucial part of the recovery strategy.

How Cahill Physical Therapy Can Help You

Depending on your specific knee problem, a customized therapy program is designed to address your age, your lifestyle and the severity of your knee condition. Some common causes of knee pain, and possible treatment modalities include:

ACL injury – A torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) — one of four ligaments that connect your shinbone to your thighbone. It often requires surgery to properly repair the damage. However, early intervention with physical therapy can support the knee and thigh muscle, thus relieving pain and delaying a surgical procedure. Your Cahill Physical Therapist will create a regimen based on specific direction from your orthopedist.

Torn meniscus – This injury can occur if you suddenly twist your knee while bearing weight on it. The meniscus is formed of tough, rubbery cartilage and acts as a shock absorber between your shinbone and thighbone. A tear can eventually lead to surgery, but physical therapy can do much to restore functionality. Your therapist may use some of the following techniques to treat your torn meniscus:

• Strengthening exercises
• Massage
• Posture and balance reconditioning

Hip or foot pain. If you have hip or foot pain, you may be altering your gait to accommodate your pain. This places more stress on your knee joint, and in some cases can refer pain to the knee. Your physical therapist is your partner, not only in treating the knee pain, but also helping realign your body to avoid further complications. Strategy for treating this condition may include:

• Addressing the cause of hip or foot pain
• Core strengthening to stabilize the back and hips
• Program for posture correction and awareness with exercise for improving balance

Osteoarthritis is the most common disease affecting the knee. It is a degenerative condition of the articular/hyaline cartilage of synovial joints and commonly affects the knee joint. Your expert clinician at Cahill Physical Therapy will create a program for your individual condition that relieves pain and slows progression of the disease. Your rehabilitation plan may feature:

• Manual therapy
• Therapeutic exercise
• Patient education
• Thermal, electrical stimulation (ES)
• Weight management guidance

Stress reduction can play an important role in recovery from injury. In addition to physical therapy, the right home remedy can help ease your discomfort further by improving circulation and relaxing muscles and joints.

Nutrition and weight control are also key players in your ongoing well being and physical fitness