Knee pain is one of the most common types of chronic pain that plagues one hundred million Americans in a given year. Chronic pain in the knee has many causes, such as different diseases and injuries that can damage the tendons and ligaments in the knee. When these tissues tear, they can cause immense pain and discomfort.
People who have chronic knee pain usually have a limited range of motion and experience difficulty when walking, standing, or merely putting weight on the affected knee. If you are looking for a way to treat your knee pain, you are reading the right article! Getting treatment for your knee pain will help you get back to your normal life and do the things you love.
How Does Knee Pain Feel?
Knee pain may be felt on varying parts of the knee, depending on where the underlying cause of the pain is. Consulting a doctor or physical therapist will help determine what is causing your knee pain.
If you have had a recent knee injury, that is most likely the cause of your knee pain. Once your injury heals, you should not feel any pain anymore. However, if you experience knee pain on and off for more than six months, with or without a previous injury, it is a good idea to see a doctor about your chronic pain.
Getting Your Knee Pain Diagnosed
Doctors, physical therapists, and other medical professionals may conduct a number of tests to diagnose your knee pain and get to the bottom of what is wrong. They may make a diagnosis based on your medical history, the symptoms you feel, and by doing a visual examination.
They may also order additional tests, such as an MRI, to support or arrive at a diagnosis. Also, they may ask about the specific pain you feel. It is important to describe the pain that you feel in detail.
If you only feel pain when you stretch your knee, but not when the joint is bent, tell your doctor. If you only feel pain when you put weight on the joint but feel an absence of pain when you are not standing on the affected knee, inform your doctor.
Telling them about these seemingly minor details will help them get to the bottom of what is wrong. Giving them all the details will also help them come up with the treatment that will work best for your specific case.
How Physical Therapy Can Help with Knee Pain
After the main source of the pain is diagnosed, your doctor will recommend a combined regimen of medicines and physical therapy sessions that will help you get over your chronic knee pain. Doctors may recommend a physical therapy plan, but the application of this plan will be carried out by physical therapists.
Physical therapy will help exercise and strengthen the muscles and build them up again without risking further damage and injury to the affected muscles. Exercises with simple and straightforward movements that stimulate muscles such as swimming, water exercises and walking are the exercises that will be recommended at the beginning of the recovery phase. Jogging and other aerobic exercises will be part of the exercise routine down the line.
Conclusion
If you are experiencing knee pain, and have not had a knee injury in the recent past, it may be a good idea to see a doctor about your condition. They will diagnose the problem and have you scheduled for physical therapy sessions that will help the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the knee heal properly to prevent further pain in the future.
Centre Street Physiotherapy & Wellness Clinic provides the very best biomechanical assessment, manual therapy, rehabilitation, and complimentary general healthcare. We use a multidisciplinary approach through acupuncture and massage therapy. If you are in need of a physiotherapy and wellness clinic, come in and see what we can offer you.
