Knee problems come in many different forms. The main symptoms people feel are pain, swelling, stiffness, redness, and decreased range of motion with bending and straightening. How the injury happened guides our physiotherapists to the problem. Common injuries include ligament tears (e.g. ACL, MCL tears), meniscal tears and fractures often occurring acutely during sport. Arthritic injuries like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid or forms of gout can create swelling and redness of the knee joint. Lastly, repetitive overuse injuries can cause knee pain and tendon issues.
Good news is there is plenty of treatment options for our patients. If it is a fresh injury use RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. It may be also necessary to hire out crutches or a hinged knee brace if it’s hard to weight bear- most chemists offer these. If the swelling is persistent NSAID’s like Voltaren can help reduce the pain and inflammation. Our physiotherapists expertly treat you with hands on therapy and provide exercises and stretches to relieve pain and swelling.
For more longstanding knee problems like arthritis or tendon issues we approach the treatment in a similar way. We design a tailored exercise program to improve mobility, flexibility and strength. We also adapt your training style to unload the knee, whether that be reducing walking hills, getting on a bike or in the pool instead of running, or looking at other things like weight management.
Prevention is key in almost all cases. Proper exercise technique and wearing appropriate footwear can help maintain proper alignment and reduce knee strain. Temporarily using a knee brace during the day can also speed up recovery.
In most cases our goal is for you to avoid surgery and build up the surrounding muscles. In severe cases when all other treatment has failed, there is a small percentage where surgery is 100% needed. The best option in this case is to see your physiotherapist who will safely assess you and organise further imaging.
