Knee pain. It’s never nice and it’s never normal. Which is why it’s important to treat it and to treat it right.
Knee pain is one of the most common areas that physiotherapy focuses on, and our physiotherapists have years of experience in treating knee injuries. Today, we explain why knee pain is never normal, identify different types of knee pain, and look at the most common injuries and how they can be treated.
Why knee pain is never normal
The purpose of the knee is to help you bear weight and absorb shock when you move. So, if you experience pain in your knee it means your knee isn’t working the way a healthy and strong knee should, hence why knee pain is never normal.
What type of knee pain is there?
Knee pain generally falls into two main categories:
- Acute pain – sudden pain that is usually the result of a clearly defined cause or injury
- Chronic pain – ongoing pain often associated with an underlying condition for example arthritis
Both types of knee pain can arise from the knee itself or be referred from other conditions or areas of the body.
What about the types of knee injuries?
Some of the most common knee injuries include:
- Fractures: A traumatic injury to the knee which fractures or breaks any of the bones
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries: The ACL is one of the key ligaments that help stabilize your knee joint. It’s most commonly torn during sports that involve sudden change in direction.
- Collateral ligament injuries: Another important part of the knee is the Collateral ligament (LCL), which runs on the outer side of your knee. This too, helps keep your knee stable and in place. Fast twisting motions can often cause injuries to this.
- Dislocation: Dislocation of the knee occurs when there is an abnormal separation in the join where two or more bones meet.
- Meniscal tears: The meniscus cushions the shinbone from the thigh bone, with forceful twisting or rotation (often during sport), this can be torn.
- Bursitis: The bursa is a small fluid sac near your knee. When inflamed, this causes the bursa to swell (bursitis) and pain to go with it.
- Tendon tears: The tough fibres that connect your muscles to your bones (tendons) can be torn largely and suddenly, or many tiny tears or strains can build up over time and begin to cause movement issues and pain.
How is knee pain treated?
Often, people fight through knee pain instead of working to heal it because they think it might be normal. As we mentioned earlier, knee pain is never normal, so it’s important to see a professional physiotherapist to treat it sooner, rather than later. If you don’t, it can cause you more pain in the long run (or you won’t be running at all).
Treating knee injuries starts with a full physical examination by an experienced physiotherapist, where the injured area is fully assessed in order to determine the cause and type of injury. The physiotherapist also delves into your history to see if you have any past injuries, and what kind of pressure is put onto your knees on a regular basis.
Once the cause of your injury is determined, a personalised treatment plan is developed, ensuring you know what needs to be done to gain a full recovery.
The rate of your recovery? That all depends on the type of injury.
Some of our knee treatment methods include:
- Physical rehabilitation such as massage and manipulation
- Muscle strengthening exercises
- Balance training exercises
- Lifestyle and sport specific training exercises
- Taping techniques for temporary movement reduction and pain relief
- Electrotherapy – Electronic equipment used to stimulate muscles and nerves may alleviate swelling and pain in some cases
- Dry needling – Insertion of small needles into trigger points (knots) within a muscle, with the goal of stimulating and releasing.
If you’re suffering from any knee pain at all, make sure you see a physiotherapist sooner, rather than later, and get it checked out.
At Morley Physiotherapy, we’ll be with you from start to finish, helping to get you moving as quickly and safely as we can. We’ll also make sure to educate you along the way, giving you the knowledge you need to continue your recovery and avoid further knee injuries.
Have you been suffering from a knee injury? Contact Morley Physiotherapy Centre today, we are close by to Beechboro and are here to help. Book an appointment with one of our experienced physiotherapists today.