Knee rehabilitation. Physical therapy for knee pain involves a thorough evaluation and assessment of your entire lower extremity from your hip to your foot. Your PT can assess your knee pain and prescribe the right treatments including exercises and modalities to help decrease your knee pain and improve your overall mobility.

Some things you might need for PT are:
* Stretches and exercises
* Ice and heat
* Ultrasound massage
* Electrical nerve or muscle stimulation

When you get physical therapy depends on the cause of your pain. Sometimes it’s all you need for treatment. You might not need surgery.

Pain in the knee can be caused by repetitive trauma and strain or injury. Occasionally it occurs for no apparent reason. When knee pain occurs, you may experience functional limitations that include difficulty walking, rising from sitting, or ascending and descending stairs.

What Type of Knee Pain Do You Have?
If you experience knee pain, it is important to determine if the pain is acute, sub-acute, or chronic in nature. This can help guide proper diagnosis and treatment.1

* Acute Pain: Usually the most severe and occurs 1-7 days after injury. During this time, you should rest the knee and let the injured structures heal before initiating any motion.
* Sub-Acute Pain: This occurs from 2-6 weeks after injury. This is a good time to initiate gentle motion around the knee to help regain mobility.
* Chronic Knee Pain: Pain lasting greater than 8-12 weeks. Knee pain that is chronic should be evaluated by your healthcare provider.

Your knee pain can be felt in areas such as:

* Pain in the Front of the Knee: If you feel pain in the front of the knee, there may be a problem with the tracking and position of the kneecap, often called patellofemoral stress syndrome (PFSS). The kneecap and the tendon between the kneecap and the shin may become inflamed and painful. Pain here usually limits the ability to kneel, ascend or descend stairs, or run and jump.
* Pain on the Inside of the Knee: If you have pain on the inside portion of the knee, there is likely an injury to the medial meniscus or medial collateral ligament. These structures are usually injured during athletic activity when the foot is planted on the ground, and the body twists over the knee. The medial meniscus is a shock absorber located inside the knee. Occasionally, it suffers from wear and tear or arthritis and can be damaged with no specific injury.
* Pain on the Outside of the Knee: Pain on the outside aspect of your knee can be the result of injury to many structures. There is a ligament there that may be injured during athletic activity.
* Pain in the Back of the Knee: Pain in the back of the knee is rare but can occur. One of the hamstring tendons attaches here, and pain here is likely due to a hamstring strain. Another possible cause of pain here is a Baker’s cyst. This is an abnormal swelling of the knee joint that occupies space in the back of the knee and causes pain with excessive bending of the knee.

If you want to learn more about physical therapy opportunities with us please don’t hesitate to check our webpage