Knee pain can
be caused by many reasons. A common cause can be OA which is when the surfaces of
the joint are damaged or worn, so the joint does not move as smoothly as it
could. Over time this leads to stiffness and pain. It commonly occurs in mid to
late forties but can occur earlier as a result of previous injury.
Physiotherapy
can be greatly beneficial for knee OA and often delays the need for surgery e.g.,
knee replacement. Your Physiotherapist will conduct a thorough examination of
your knee to assess how the muscles, joints and nerves are working and identify
which structures of your knee are likely to be affected. A treatment plan will
be discussed with you and a will be specific to your needs and goals, based on
the best evidence available.
Your treatment
plan may include some of the following:
- advice on pain and swelling management,
- exercises to increase movement,
- exercises to increase strength,
- exercises to improve balance and endurance,
- manual therapy (mobilisations, tissue massage, tissue
release etc)
- taping
The stronger and more flexible an OA knee becomes with Physio, usually results in pain reduction. Learning how to look after your OA knee also helps: patients often to do too little or too much which can lead to poorly managed pain.
If pain is
interfering with your general day to day activities and is not settling, you
may need to seek advice form your GP/Pharmacist. They can offer advice on
tablets and creams such as Capsaicin, to help control your knee pain and allow
you to continue exercising.
For further
resources backed by research please see below -
https://www.versusarthritis.org
https://escape-pain.org
https://www.csp.org.uk/conditions/knee-pain
If you would like any help with your OA knee, please do not hesitate to call us to arrange an appointment with one of our experienced physiotherapists on 01242 673507
