Knee pain can affect people of all ages and can be very debilitating. Knee pain can start suddenly with a fall or a motor vehicle accident or it can build up over time. Knee pain can make it difficult for people to do daily things, such as walking and climbing stairs. It can also prevent people from being active and doing regular exercise, which can negatively impact their overall health.
The signs and symptoms of knee pain will depend on the specific nature of the injury. However, the most commonly reported symptoms of knee pain include:
Like most joints in the body, the knee joint is very complex. It is made up of three bones and supported by several types of soft tissues. There are a variety of structures that can be involved in producing knee pain.
Structure(s) | Nature of the injury |
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Bones – femur, tibia and patella (kneecap) |
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Cartilage |
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Meniscus |
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Ligaments |
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Bursae |
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Muscles & Tendons |
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Knee pain can happen for several different reasons. The most common reasons for knee pain are:
Physiotherapy is very important for the management of the knee pain. A Registered Physiotherapist at PhysioNow will perform a thorough assessment of the knee and implement a treatment plan to address all the patient’s limitations, including their pain, swelling, strength and function.
Physiotherapy treatment for knee pain will include patient education, manual therapy for the soft tissues and joints of the knee and active exercise therapy. Electrotherapy or acupuncture may also be used to help with pain management.
Don’t let knee pain stop you from living your life! We have 4 locations across the communities of Mississauga and Etobicoke to help you manage your pain. Contact PhysioNow to book your appointment and get started today!
The most common causes of knee pain are: meniscus injuries or wear and tear from arthritis( joint pain). It is also possible that you can get pain from under the knee cap: called patellofemoral pain. This however, is less common. Lastly, it is possible to get pain below the knee in the patellar tendon. This is called jumper’s knee or infraptellar tendonitis. The good news is that all of these can be treated with Physiotherapy!
The short answer is: it can help to reduce knee pain. The long answer is: cortisone injections have been shown to damage the remaining cartillage and therefore in the long run, we do not recommend them unless you are already ready for a new knee. Conservative care with Physiotherapy has been shown to be as effective in treating most knee pain and has no side effects. We recommend a course of 3 months of Physiotherapy before trying a cortisone injection.
Knee surgery is recommended when you have whats called a ‘bucket handle’ type of injury to your meniscus. The only way to know if this is what you have is if you have had a CTscan or MRI done. Conservative Physiotherapy is not effective in these cases. Surgery is recommended. The other time that surgery is recommended is when your knee cartillage has completely deteriorated. Unloader knee braces can help to buy you time. Ultimately, though, there is a point at which only knee replacement surgery will help to get you back to your life.
Physiotherapy can include the use of a variety of modalities that can help to reduce pain. In addition, the Physiotherapist can use hands on treatment techniques that can help to reduce your pain. Lastly, the Physiotherapist will teach you specific exercises that can help to reduce or eliminate the pain and get you back to your normal activities as quickly as possible.
There are a variety of knee braces available on the market. Custom Knee Braces can be helpful to unload your knee if there is a lot of arthritis in one part of your knee. These are very effective in reducing pain. Braces can also be very helpful if you have ligament injuries such as an ACL tear. The brace can support your knee while you are healing and prevent further injury. Braces can help you get back to your normal activities faster. It is very important to get properly diagnosed if you have knee pain. Not all braces are created equally. You will need the right brace for the right knee injury. Our Physiotherapists at PhysioNow can assess your knee and recommend the proper brace for your injury. We carry a variety of off the shelf knee braces and we can provide a Custom Knee Brace if it is appropriate for you.
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