When To See A Physical Therapist For Knee Pain

When To See A Physical Therapist For Knee Pain

Is your knee pain making you worried about what’s ahead? Are you thinking your knee pain may lead to surgery or painkillers? You have more options for managing knee pain than just those things. Physical therapy might be able to help you ward off surgery, depending on your condition. This article will help explain when to see a physical therapist for knee pain.

Your knee is comprised of three bones, four ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. The three bones include the lower part of the thighbone, the upper part of the shinbone, and the kneecap. In your knee, there are two collateral (side) ligaments and two cruciate (inside) ligaments. Your knee also has tendons that act as connectors, and cartilage (sometimes referred to as menisci).

It is at any one of these points, or in between them, that something could go wrong and begin causing you pain. 

Common Causes of Knee Pain

There are several common causes of knee pain as follows:

Baker’s cyst

Collateral ligament injury

Chondromalacia patella

Prepatellar bursitis

Pateller tendonitis

Knee Arthritis

Torn knee cartilage

Patellofemoral pain syndrome

Cruciate ligament injury

Iliotibial band syndrome

While there are some things that physical therapy can help treat, there are some things it can’t. Sometimes physical therapy can help put off the need for surgery. However, even in the cases where surgery is needed, physical therapy can help before and/or after. This is called pre-hab or rehab.

When To See A Physical Therapist For Knee Pain: What To Expect

When you visit a physical therapist, he or she will want to know about your medical history, will complete an exam and have several questions about what you are experiencing. Your physical therapist will also want to know where the pain is. Is it in the front of the knee, back of the knee, the inside of the knee or the outside of the knee?

Physical therapy can help with many common causes of knee pain such as osteoarthritis, meniscal tears, iliotibial band syndrome and more. If you have an injury or the need for surgery, physical therapy has been shown to be effective in helping you to heal faster, and so may still be used in many cases where an acute injury or trauma has occurred. Just be sure to visit your doctor when your knee pain is from an acute injury or trauma.

Now that you know more about when to see a physical therapist for knee pain…

…if you are experiencing knee pain, schedule a consultation with a physical therapist at Above & Beyond Physical Therapy in Queen Creek or Phoenix — contact us today.