Did you know that the largest joint in your body is in the knees? The knee is a hinge joint which comprises bones, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments. A knee that’s healthy ensures that you’re able to run, move, and carry out all sorts of physical exercise to the best of your abilities.
On the flip side, if you ever fall prey to a sports injury, your knee is usually what’s affected. You’d be surprised to know that 6.6 million cases of knee injuries were reported between the years 1999 and 2008.
Let’s see what causes knee injuries and how you can use physical therapy to get immediate relief.
What causes knee injuries?
Other than sprains and strains, knee injuries also happen as a result of fractures, muscle overuse, and tears. People who are required to strenuously walk or move from one place to another are at higher risk—a common example being athletes! The pain that results can either take place at the back of the knee, inside the knee, or in the front of the knee.
Other than sports, common injuries like falls and accidents can also be a contributing factor. Some of the most common signs of a knee injury—other than pain—are swelling, redness, and stiffness of the muscles surrounding the knee area. Treatment, of course, depends on how severe the injury is, but physical therapy works for most cases.
How does physical therapy help?
Before getting started with any sort of treatment, your therapist will always initiate the process with a series of in-depth evaluations. They use their hands to touch the knee in a number of ways to see if the pain gets triggered by their touch. The therapist also helps you carry out exercises that are aimed at enhancing the flexibility and mobility of your knee.
One of the most common and effective techniques is soft tissue modulation. This is carried out manually to help stiff muscles recover by friction massage and is carried out by professionals. Many clinics focus on neuromuscular re-education. This technique focuses on helping the patient improve their muscular coordination, posture, and balance.
The biggest benefit of physical therapy for knee injuries is that it focuses on more than just the pain. Your therapist will make sure the therapy stabilizes your spinal position.
If you’re based in Houston, look no further than HealthRite. We are a physical therapy clinic and our team of therapists is trained to help patients with the symptoms of a number of degenerative diseases and disorders. Contact us for further details.
