Knee Pain can be very frustrating. It can be caused by acute trauma to the knee which can cause localised damage or be secondary to a number of leg problems like a weak hip or poor landing position. Knee physiotherapy can help to relieve pain such as:
- PatelloFemoral Pain – Kneecap pain can be very sharp and shocking or a persistent annoying ache. It is caused by the knee cap not tracking up and down comfortably as you bend your knee and required leg exercises for treatment.
- Cruciate Ligaments – In the centre of the knee there are the Anterior and Posterior Cruciate Ligaments. These provide rotational stability to the knee and if ruptured can require operations and extensive rehabilitatio.
- Lateral Ligaments – Along the inside and outside of the knee are the medial and lateral ligaments. These are very important for knee stabilisation and depending on the scale of the injury may need a few weeks of modified exercise through to immobilisation in a brace.
- Meniscus – These structures are like shock absorbers in the knee. Previously it was routine to tidy up any meniscal tears but shaving them away in an arthroscope – however, time has demonstrated all this does is speed up a total knee replacement. Therefore certain tears are repaired, otherwise, knee and leg exercises are the treatment of choice for long-term knee health.
- Bakers Cyst – Whenever there is swelling in the knee, for whatever reason, it will tend to pool in bursa or folds of the capsule. The Bakers Cyst is in the back of the knee and can be quite prominent and annoying when it is full of fluid. You cannot treat a Bakers Cyst as such, instead, the cause for the swelling must be addressed.
- Kinetic Chain – Knee pain that is secondary to how your leg lands onto the ground with impact activities like running and walking can only be addressed by improving the leg landing position and spring with take-off.