SHARES
“My knees hurt badly especially in the evening. I think I’ve been walking around too much at work. My doctor says I have osteoarthritis and the bone & joints are bad. He had me see a physiotherapist weekly to help with the knee pain. At first, I was confused why. My uncle visits a physiotherapist for his stroke, so, isn’t physiotherapy for rehabilitation of nerve injuries? “But, I don’t have any nerve problem.” thought Ann, 56. She was hesitant at first, but after physiotherapy, is now experiencing less knee pain symptoms and enjoys her life more.
The key to Improve mobility Knee Osteoarthritis? Make the right move, see a Physio-Therapist
What is Osteoarthritis?
Our knee joints get worn out as we age due to repetitive use. The joint surface becomes thinner and rough, making it painful when we move. Sometimes, even the bone under the joint surface are damaged. This condition is called osteoarthritis.
Causes of knee osteoarthritis
Overuse injury or previous trauma to the joint can cause osteoarthritis at a younger age. This can be seen in athletes. Also, over burdening our knees physically (eg. frequent high impact sports, doing heavy weight lifting and being overweight), smoking and diabetes can put you at higher risk for osteoarthritis.
Living with Osteoarthritis
The affected joint surface (cartilage) and bone recovers very slowly to almost never. This causes chronic pain causing us to move less and less. As a result, our joints become stiffer and the surrounding muscles weaken. Without strong muscle support, we injure our knees more easily and end up with more pain, inflammation and stiffness. Life can be miserable as we become less active and worse if we are bound to a wheelchair.
However, it need not be like this. Your physiotherapists are there to help you keep fit and get rid of your knee pain!
Who are PhysioTherapists?
A physical therapist or physiotherapist is a professional who specialises in rehabilitation (restoring your health to pre-disease condition). It has its root in gymnastics which later extended the specialty of care to polio patients and soldiers who were injured at war. Their success in bringing people back on their foot again forms this noble profession widely known today.
Photo by Frank Henry from Flickr
Making the Right Move with Your Physiotherapist
Moving less will make your osteoarthritis worse. The key to reduce knee pain, stiffness and getting you back to active living lies in proper exercise. This can also delay and even prevent your need for knee surgery.
Your physical therapist will first sit down and talk with you to understand your situation and needs. Then, he or she will examine your knee, hip and ankle joints thoroughly. Some measurement, assessment and even an x-ray may be needed. Then, your physical therapist will formulate a treatment plan together with you.
The treatment can be largely divided into passive and active treatments:
Passive Treatments
For passive treatment, your physical therapist will do the exercises while you relax. You will later learn to do these by yourself at home. These are mainly stretching and range-of-movement exercises.
1. Stretching exercises increase flexibility and reduce joint stiffness
Your physiotherapist will have you lie down in different position. He/she will move your legs in a way to stretch your leg muscles. This loosens up the muscles and reduces pain or stiffness.
2. Range-of-motion exercises improve joint mobility and blood circulation
Your therapist will move your joints gently to help reduce joint stiffness due to inflammation. The improved blood circulation helps create more lubricating fluid in your joint.
3. Heat and cold therapy
Heat packs are used to warm up, relax and reduce pain before an exercise. Your therapist can also use cold packs to reduce inflammation, swelling and pain after an exercise.
Active Treatments
For active treatment, your therapist will plan an exercise regime for you and teach you the proper technique. These are the core treatment and includes strengthening and aerobic exercises.
1. Strengthening exercises prevent knee injury and get rid of your knee pain!
Discuss with your therapist on various exercises suitable and enjoyable to you. These exercises are designed to work mainly on increasing the strength of muscle supporting your joints (eg. quadriceps and hamstrings for knee joint). This can be as easy as straightening your knee and raising it up slightly (~30cm) when lying down. Also, take note that your hips muscles are important for your knee stability too.
2. Aerobic exercises are good for both your knees and heart
Moving less because of knee pain is bad for your heart. Because of this, it raises your chance for heart attack and stroke. Also, improved blood circulation helps produce more joint fluid for lubricating and nourishing the joint.
Straight leg raise muscle strengthening exercise. Photo by Amy Lehnherr from Flickr
Conclusion
Consulting a physiotherapist can help reduce your knee pain and help get you back on your feet. If it works well, it can also delay surgery or even obviate the need for it. More importantly, it is an option to a treatment to be back on your feet again with or without surgery (depending on each patient’s situation) leading to a more active and happier life!
Find a Physiotherapist and Orthopaedic Surgeon in Malaysia, on GetDoc
Find a Physiotherapist and Orthopaedic Surgeon in Singapore, on GetDoc
References
1. Joseph JR. Physical therapy for oesteoarthritis [Internet]. Practical Pain Management. 2019. [Available from:https://www.practicalpainmanagement.com/amp/9300; last accessed on 2019 Aug 20]
2. Bretts S. Physical therapy for knee pain [verywellhealth]. About, Inc (DotDash). 2019. [Available from:https://www.verywellhealth.com/physical-therapy-for-knee-pain-2696411; last updated on 2019 Jul 2; last accessed on 2019 Aug 20]
by Chang Xian
View all articles by Chang Xian.
