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Physical Therapy for Knee Pain

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Albert Thomas
Physical Therapy for Knee Pain

Physiotherapy for knee pain involves a thorough evaluation and assessment of your entire lower extremity from your hip to your foot. Your PT can assess your knee pain and prescribe the right treatments — including exercises and modalities — to help decrease your knee pain and improve your overall mobility.

Pain in the knee can be caused by repetitive trauma and strain or injury. Occasionally it occurs for no apparent reason. When knee pain occurs, you may experience functional limitations that include difficulty walking, rising from sitting, or ascending and descending stairs.

Type of Knee Pain Do You Have

If you experience knee pain, it is important to determine if the pain is acute, sub-acute, or chronic in nature. This can help guide proper diagnosis and treatment.

  • Acute Pain: Usually the most severe and occurs 1-7 days after injury. During this time, you should rest the knee and let the injured structures heal before initiating any motion.
  • Sub-Acute Pain: This occurs from 2-6 weeks after injury. This is a good time to initiate gentle motion around the knee to help regain mobility.
  • Chronic Knee Pain: Pain lasting greater than 8-12 weeks. Knee pain that is chronic should be evaluated by your healthcare provider.

Cloverdale physioTreatment for Knee Pain

After a focused examination has been completed, your physical therapist can work with you to initiate the correct treatment. It is very important for you to be active and engaged in the program. Often, exercises to help strengthen and improve the mobility of the knee will be prescribed. You may be required to perform exercises at home as well as part of a home exercise program. Exercise should be your main tool for treating your knee pain. Exercises to help your knee pain may include:

  • Quad sets and straight leg raises.
  • Short arc quads.
  •  Exercises to strengthen your hips (Your hip muscles help control the position of your knees. Weakness here may cause knee pain).
  • Lower extremity stretches.
  • Balance exercises.

 Your PT will tell you how often to perform your exercises at home, and he or she should monitor your progress when you visit the PT clinic. He or she may also perform other treatments while you are in the PT clinic. These may include:

  • Ultrasound.
  • Electric stimuation.
  • Kinesiology taping.
  • Application of heat or ice.
  • Soft tissue massages or knee joint mobilization.

Keep in mind that passive treatments like ultrasound or estim have not been proven to be the most effective treatment for knee pain. They may feel good, but your focus with PT should be on restoring functional mobility. One should discuss the overall goal of each treatment, so you have an understanding of what to expect.

If knee pain persists for more than two to three weeks or occurs as the result of major trauma, a visit to a physician or health care provider is recommended.

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