What is Knee Pain?
Knee pain can be caused by disease or injury. Knee pain can restrict movement, affect muscle control in the sore leg, and reduce the strength and endurance of the muscles that support the knee. The most common disease affecting the knee is osteoarthritis, which is caused by the cartilage in the knee gradually wearing away, resulting in pain and swelling.
Knee injuries can occur as the result of a direct blow or sudden movement that strains the knee beyond its normal range of motion, as can happen in sports, recreational activities, a fall, or a motor vehicle accident. Knee pain caused by an injury is often associated with tears in the knee cartilage or ligaments. Knee pain can also be the result of repeated stress, as often occurs with the kneecap, also known as patellofemoral pain syndrome. Very rarely, with extreme trauma, a bone may break at the knee.
How Can Physical Therapy Help?
Based on the evaluation, our physical therapists will develop a customized rehabilitation program, including a specific set of knee exercises, for you.
If you already have knee problems, our physical therapist can help with a plan of exercise that will strengthen your knee without increasing the risk of injury or further damage. As a general rule, you should choose gentle exercises such as swimming, aquatic exercise, or walking rather than jarring exercises such as jogging or high-impact aerobics.
Consult our physical therapists about specific ways to maintain your knee health following injury or surgery. Our physical therapists have the relevant educational background and expertise to evaluate your knee health and refer you to another healthcare provider if necessary.
Depending on the severity of your knee problem, your age, and your lifestyle, our therapists may select such treatments as:
Our physical therapists can determine just how much you may need to limit physical activity involving the affected knee. They can also gauge your knee’s progress in function during your rehabilitation.
How Can Our Physical Therapists Help Before & After Surgery?
Our physical therapists, in consultation with your surgeon, will be able to tell you how much activity you can do depending on the type of knee surgery (such as total knee replacement) you undergo. Our therapists and surgeons also might have you participate in physical therapy prior to surgery to increase your strength and motion. This can sometimes help with recovery after surgery.
Following surgery, our physical therapists will design a personalized rehabilitation program for you and help you gain the strength, movement, and endurance you need to return to performing the daily activities you did before.
How Does it Feel?
You may feel knee pain in different parts of your knee joint, depending on the problem affecting you. Identifying the location of your pain can help your physical therapist determine its cause.
How Is It Diagnosed?
Your physical therapist will make a diagnosis based on your symptoms, medical history, and a thorough examination. X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results may also be used to complete the diagnosis.
To help diagnose your condition, your physical therapist may ask you questions like these:
- Where exactly on your knee is the pain?
- Did you twist your knee?
- Did you feel a “tearing” sensation at the time of injury?
- Do you notice swelling?
- Have you ever felt like your knee joint is “catching,” or “locking,” or will give way?
- Do you have difficulty walking up and down stairs?
- Do you have difficulty sitting with your knee bent for long periods, as on an airplane or at the movies?
- Does your pain increase when you straighten or bend your knee?
- Does your knee hurt if you have to twist or turn quickly?
The physical therapist will perform tests to find out whether you have:
- Pain or discomfort with bending or straightening your knee
- Tenderness at the knee joint
- Limited motion in your knee
- Weakness in the muscles around your knee
- Difficulty putting weight on your knee when standing or walking
The physical therapist also is concerned about how well you are able to use your injured knee in daily life. To assess this, the therapist may use such tests as a single-limb hop test, a 6-minute walk test, or a timed up and go test.
Can this Injury or Condition be Prevented?
Ideally, everyone should regularly get 3 types of exercise to prevent injury to all parts of the body, including the knees:
- Range-of-motion exercises to help maintain normal joint movement and relieve stiffness.
- Strengthening exercises to keep or increase muscle strength.
- Aerobic or endurance exercises (such as walking or swimming) improve the function of the heart and circulation and help control weight. Weight control can be important to people who have arthritis because extra weight puts pressure on many joints, including the knee.
To keep knee pain and other musculoskeletal pain at bay, it’s important to maintain an overall healthy lifestyle, exercise, get adequate rest, and eat healthy foods. It’s also important for runners and other athletes to perform physical therapist-approved stretching and warm-up exercises on a daily basis—especially before beginning physical activity.
Knee pain can be caused by disease or injury. The most common disease affecting the knee is osteoarthritis. Knee injuries can occur as the result of a direct blow or sudden movement that strains the knee beyond its normal range of movement. Knee pain caused by an injury is most often associated with knee cartilage tears, such as meniscal tears, or ligament tears, such as anterior cruciate ligament tears.
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Where Can You Find Us?
(941) 744-9046
2601 Manatee Avenue West Ste E
Bradenton, FL 34205
