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Nov 05
2019

Chronic Knee Pain: What To Do About It

Knee pain is common. While you can experience it at any age and any stage of life, there is a difference between knee pain that is temporary or caused by a minor injury and knee pain that is chronic and long-lasting. 

So how do you know when you need to do something about your knee pain?

[Related article: When To See A Physical Therapist For Knee Pain]

Knee pain could be caused by either a medical condition or an injury. Knee pain from an injury is temporary and with proper care and treatment should heal and will go away. The condition becomes chronic when it occurs over a long period of time. This could happen in one or both knees.

Symptoms of knee pain may include difficulty walking, straightening the knee, swelling, stiffness, weakness, unstable on the leg, noises such as popping or crunching, redness, and/or warm to the touch.

If this has been going on for some time and you notice these symptoms, have it examined.

Risk Factors For Chronic Knee Pain

You are more at risk for chronic knee pain if you are overweight or have other risk factors such as age and/or previous injuries. Certain factors increase the risk of chronic knee pain. These include: 

obesity

medical conditions such as gout or a bacterial infection

Injury

degenerative disorders

connective tissue disorders

Physical Therapy For Chronic Knee Pain

Because the knee is a joint that is comprised of cartilage, menisci, tendons, ligaments, and is where the thighbone, shinbone, and patella connect, physical therapy is a great remedy for many common causes of chronic knee pain. This is because physical therapy can help you strengthen the surrounding tissues of the joint and stabilize the knee.

Physical therapy is also a great solution for chronic knee pain if the pain is due to an injury, or a structural/mechanical problem in the hip, leg, knee, or foot.

Physical therapy will focus on low impact exercise that helps to build the strength in the surrounding tissues of the knee. This will help with movement, stability, and prevent your condition from getting worse.

[Related article: How To Prevent Knee Pain]

If the cause is osteoarthritis, you may always experience some level of pain, however physical therapy can work to prevent it from getting worse, help you manage the pain, prevent the pain from flaring up and can help to reduce further aggravation to the knee.

If surgery is required, physical therapy helps you before and after surgery to have a faster recovery period and healing time.

Now that you know more about chronic knee pain and how physical therapy can help…

…if you experience any of the symptoms noted above, you may benefit from scheduling a consultation with one of the physical therapists at Above & Beyond Physical Therapy to have your chronic knee pain evaluated. To get started, contact us today.