No More Knee Pain!
- Posted on: Sep 13 2013
If you have a bum knee, you’re hardly alone. About 16% of adults ages 45 and over have a condition known as osteoarthritis of the knee, meaning they have inflammation and degeneration of the bones that form the knee joint.
Symptoms—which develop gradually over time—include pain that worsens after you walk, climb or descend stairs; or when you move from a sitting to a standing position. You might also experience pain or stiffness after sitting with your knee bent or straight for an extended period of time.
You might hear popping, cracking or grinding when you move your knee, and you may notice swelling after an activity. Your knee might feel tender to the touch.
The condition is diagnosed via your symptoms, as well as a physical exam and imaging, such as X-rays or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests. There are many ways we can help alleviate your symptoms:
Boosting your muscle strength
Strengthening the muscles surrounding your knee is key. Studies show that people who exercise their knee appropriately have less pain and a better quality of life. That’s because muscles can help protect joint health. They can control the motion and forces that affect joints.
In particular, strengthening the hip muscles, as well as those of the abdomen, low back and pelvis, can help reduce the amount of force on the knee joint—especially during walking and running.
Performing manual therapy
In physical therapy we may gently move your muscles and joints to improve their flexibility, motion and strength. This has been shown to decrease pain and improve function in patients with knee osteoarthritis.
Applying a brace
We might place compressive sleeves, also known as braces, around your knee to help reduce pain and swelling. They can help reduce the forces on your knee during weight-bearing activities.
Prescribing exercise
We may prescribe an exercise program to help you stay active—yet minimize stress on your knee.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture helps arthritis sufferers by returning tight, shortened muscles to their resting state. It also may stimulate the release of the body’s feel-good brain chemicals known as endorphins, which can help reduce pain.
If you’d like to learn more about how physical therapy or acupuncture can help with knee pain, contact us here.
Tagged with: knee, knee pain, physical therapy
Posted in: Acupuncture, All Posts, Knee
