Pearl Physiotherapy Center

Knee Injuries

Common knee injuries treated by Pearl Physiotherapy Center

Knee pain is a very common condition and occurs for a variety of different reasons including sports injuries, overuse injuries, everyday strains, trauma from impact or falling, and arthritic conditions. Most knee conditions are treatable with effective physiotherapy treatment and this may consist of manual therapy, taping, exercise prescription/rehabilitation or a combination of them all. At Pearl Physiotherapy Center, our physiotherapists will thoroughly assess the cause of knee pain to allow for targeted treatment specific to the injury, leading to a faster recovery time.

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Types Of Pains and Causes

Common Knee Strain

This can be caused by everyday stresses and strains placed on the knees in normal daily activities. Possible causes could be gardening and kneeling for too long, or strained when stepping down a curb or off a bus. A sudden increase in walking and activity levels without building up a gradual tolerance for these activities can also cause knee pain. Such types of knee pain are generally mechanical in nature and do not involve any structural problems with the knee joint, and are easily treated by our physiotherapists at Pearl Physiotherapy Center.

Meniscus or Cartilage Injury

A cartilage or meniscus tear is a more structural problem which involves a tear of the cartilage which acts as a shock absorber between the opposing joint surfaces. They usually occur either through a traumatic twisting injury to the knee, or can build up over time leading to a degenerative tear. These types of tears can vary on a spectrum from being minor and affecting the outer layers of the cartilage where there is improved blood supply and thus a greater chance of settling down with physiotherapy and exercises. Larger tears, often in the deeper zone with poorer blood supply for healing, can cause more serious problems causing the knee to lock and give-way, and they are often very painful with weight-bearing.

Patello-femoral Knee Pain

The knee joint actually consists of two joints, the main hinge joint of the knee between your thigh bone (femur) and shin bone (tibia) and the patello-femoral joint, which is more commonly known as the knee cap and its articulation with the thigh (femur) bone. This type of knee pain manifests itself as pain on the front of the knee often located on the knee cap region, or underneath the kneecap. Large forces from the thigh muscles (quadriceps) travel through this joint, making it more prone to stress and injury when loading the knee in a weight bearing position, such as when going downstairs, squatting or lunging or walking downhill. Effective treatment is determined by the type of patello-femoral pain and the complaint can be easily rectified by a qualified physiotherapist.

Arthritic Knee Pain

A very common cause of knee pain, especially in those in the latter stages of life. This type of pain is due to a progressive degradation of the cartilage between the joint spaces. This leads to pain, inflammation, and loss of joint flexibility as there is greater pressures on the joint surfaces. Once this process occurs, the muscles surrounding the joint are inhibited from working properly and this can lead to more forces through the affected area of degeneration. Physiotherapy rehabilitation is important to help maintain and improve joint flexibility, helping to stimulate the joints own natural synovial fluid to lubricate the joint. It is also very important that specific exercises are prescribed to strengthen the muscles around the joint to help reduce the stresses to the joint. A physiotherapist can guide people suffering with this condition in important lifestyle advice such as weight loss, footwear, diet and general exercise.