Physiotherapy for Knee Injuries

Physiotherapy Starts With an Assessment

To help your physical therapist develop a treatment plan for your knee, the first session of treatment is typically dedicated, at least partly to an assessment.

The assessment will include your medical history and answering questions about your knee, including how you rate the pain, what activities trigger the pain, your range of motion, and how it interferes with your daily life.

The physical therapist will also physically assess your knee. Expect them to move your leg and knee in various ways and ask you how it feels in each position. They will also pay attention to how easily your knee moves and how you balance and walk on your knee.

This assessment is important because, although 25% of adults experience frequent knee pain, everyone experiences that pain differently.

The Goal of Physical Therapy for Knee Injuries

As mentioned, two of the primary goals of physiotherapy for your knee injury are to reduce your pain and improve your range of motion.

Other goals include eliminating swelling in the joints, increasing strength in the muscles around your knees, improving your balance, and helping you regain functionality so you can complete your daily activities.

You and your physical therapist will come up with specific goals for your treatment during the initial assessment. Let them know if you have any goals in mind, such as returning to a sport.

Potential Treatments During Physiotherapy for Knee Injuries

Your physical therapist will create a customized treatment plan for you based on your current condition and goals. The treatment might include:

• Light exercise
• Stretches
• Ultrasound massage
• Ice and heat
• Electrical stimulation of the nerves or muscle

Some of these require a closer look.

TENS

For those unfamiliar, the last of these involves using TENS or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. During the process, your therapist will put electrodes above your knee on your thigh. They will then send small electrical signals to the electrodes. These electric signals signal the muscle’s nerves, boosting blood flow.

Common Exercises in Physiotherapy for Knee Injuries

Although everyone is different, some exercises are a bit more common than others for knee injuries. Remember that with any exercise, your physical therapist will have you start slowly and with very few repetitions, then slowly increase the repetitions over time.

You may have to do straight leg lifts, short arc quads, wall squats, single-leg dips, hamstring curls, wall squats, or other balancing exercises

At-home Care During Physiotherapy

Your physiotherapy involves more than just the sessions you have with your physical therapist. They will also give you exercises to complete at home. These will almost always be exercises that you first complete with the therapist, ensuring that you know how to complete them properly.

On average, you should expect between 7 and 10 physical therapy sessions. This varies based on your injury and what your insurance will cover, though. More importantly, your physical therapist will ensure you have the skills and knowledge to complete your recovery before your final session.

Reassessments During Physiotherapy

At every single session, your physical therapist will reevaluate your knee injury, at least to some extent. This assessment may not always be obvious and can be as simple as paying attention to changes to your body’s reaction to movements.

Some of the techniques they will use for this reassessment include the following:

Evaluating Your Gait

Even if they do not directly ask you to walk in front of them, you can assume that your physical therapist pays attention to how you walk during your sessions. Their training means they will notice any small improvements.

Assessing Your Balance

 In the case of knee injuries that affected your balance, your physical therapist will also pay attention to how this imbalance improves. This is important because you may put too much stress on your knee when you are not well-balanced. Consequently, this hurts your knee’s healing.

Measuring Range of Motion

During each session, your physical therapist will look for improvements in your knee’s range of motion. Some of this will be through observations during exercises. They may also take measurements to compare with your initial measurements.

Palpitating the Knee

 When a physiotherapist palpitates your knee, they use their hands to feel the area, searching for anything that is not as it should be. During this process, they will also want to know if any touch causes pain.

Why the Reassessments Matter

 These reassessments are important as they show your progress. They provide a means of showing that you benefited from physiotherapy. They also let your physical therapist continue to adapt your treatment to meet your needs and abilities, so they do not push your knee too hard too soon.

Click here to find experienced physical therapy after an injury or an accident.

Additional Sources:

https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/knee-pain/rehab-strengthen-knees#1

https://www.verywellhealth.com/physical-therapy-for-knee-pain-2696411

https://pivotalmotion.physio/knee/