Knee pain is common and affects millions of people worldwide. If you suffer from knee pain, you might want to consider physical therapy or acupuncture treatments. These therapies can help relieve your symptoms and get you back to your normal activities.
Physiotherapists are trained professionals who specialize in treating musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis, sports injuries, and other joint problems. Acupuncturists are also qualified health practitioners who treat patients using acupuncture, stimulation, moxibustion, cupping, and herbal medicine.
There are several ways to manage knee pain, depending on its cause. In some cases, exercises and lifestyle changes can reduce pain and improve function. Other options include injections, surgery, and medications.
Let’s first look at some common reasons for knee pain:
- Joint pain issues
- Sports injuries
- Muscle spasms
- Arthritic pain
- Balance issues
- Body weakness
- Painful knee muscle after injury
- Poor range of motion
- Poor blood flow to the knee joint
- Common work-related injuries
- Other acute knee injuries
- Complex injuries
- Morning stiffness
- Knee replacements
- Inflamed tissues
- Extra weight gain or obesity
- Sudden movement
- Ligament injury
- Meniscal injury
- Patellar tendonitis
- Traumatic injuries
- Muscle imbalance issues
- Age-related degeneration
A trained physiotherapist will be able to customize an individualized treatment plan for you that targets the specific source of your discomfort and reduces its recurrence. In this blog post, we share some leading recommendations on how to overcome knee discomfort at last.
How Does A Physiotherapist Help? What Can They Do For Me?
Essentially, physiotherapists are health care experts who specialize in dealing with clients who have suffered an injury or strain somewhere in their body–like your knees!
A physiotherapist has extensive training and experience in helping clients recuperate from injuries or strains. They may also be specialized in helping with specific conditions that make them even more competent than general practitioners to deal with those health issues.
In short: if you need a pain-free and comfortable life, consider a physiotherapist!
Physio for Knee Pain and Injuries
Physiotherapy can be one of the most effective treatment programs for handling knee discomfort and injuries. Physio care enables you to treat your condition in a focused and effective manner, often without the need for medication or surgery.
According to a review of research studies, physiotherapy delivers higher benefits than self-management for people with knee arthritis.
Physiotherapy delivers a specialized treatment plan and relevant workouts that can help you lower discomfort, regain mobility, and resume daily activities.
While numerous treatments are concentrated on pain relief, they can also be utilized to deal with the root causes of knee pain. Some common ones include the Graston technique, manual techniques, injury management, soft tissue mobilization technique, rehabilitation services, etc.
Stretching Workouts
Stretching is a must-do when handling knee pain, and it’s even more essential if you’re recuperating from an injury. Research studies show that people who stretch routinely have minimized pain and increased flexibility compared to those who don’t stretch at all.
You can do two main stretches to ease knee pain: static and dynamic, and your physiotherapist can prescribe the best ones for your unique condition.
Static stretching includes holding your muscles in an extended position for about 30 seconds. You should feel a gentle stretch in your muscles, but no major discomfort.
Dynamic stretching refers to moving your muscles through a variety of motion ranges over some time. You may feel an increased stretch in your muscles, together with a minor pull.
Both types of stretches have their benefits, but dynamic stretches are especially valuable for knee pain. They can help you to loosen stiff joints, improve your general flexibility, and boost the joint’s range of movement.
Strengthening Exercises
While stretching is very important for minimizing knee pain, strengthening the surrounding muscles is essential for long-lasting management of the discomfort. Strong muscles offer stability and support to your joints, enabling them to perform much better and lowering the possibility of pain and injuries repeating.
According to an evaluation of research studies, a combination of aerobic exercise and reinforcing exercises is the most beneficial way of handling knee discomfort. Low-impact exercises such as swimming, biking, and using elliptical equipment are excellent for reinforcing muscles without overloading your knees. Once again, your physiotherapist can teach you the best exercises to strengthen your knee muscles.
If you’ve recently suffered an injury, you should steer clear of high-impact exercises such as running until your knee has healed. Workouts to strengthen your quadriceps (the muscles in the front of the knee) are also one of the most effective ways to decrease knee pain.
Dry Needling
Dry needling is a specific kind of acupuncture that includes placing really thin needles into trigger points. Trigger points are small knots in your muscles that cause discomfort and lower movement in the surrounding area.
Dry needling can be used to treat all types of musculoskeletal conditions, including knee discomfort. Research studies demonstrate that dry needling is just as effective as electrotherapy for dealing with knee osteoarthritis, with fewer side effects.
Dry needling is often utilized as a part of a diverse treatment plan. It’s not a stand-alone treatment, though it can be effective when integrated with other treatments.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is another therapy that is significantly being used to treat knee discomfort. Like dry needling, acupuncture incorporates putting tiny needles into the skin at particular points on the body. Research reveals that registered acupuncture services delivered by proper healthcare professionals can decrease discomfort and enhance knee joint function in individuals experiencing knee injuries.
Acupuncture has extremely few adverse effects and is typically a great treatment option for handling knee pain. It can likewise be used in combination with other therapies.
Knee Brace
If you suffer from frequent knee pain, a knee brace is an excellent method to protect your knee and prevent injuries from repeating. Braces come in a wide range of types and materials, and there are several types to choose from. A knee brace can help alleviate knee discomfort and support the knee in people recovering from an injury, osteoarthritis, or joint replacement.
Taping
Knee braces are typically the first option for handling knee pain, but lots of people have concerns about their use. Taping your knee is a much less intrusive method of handling the discomfort and can be just as beneficial as a knee brace.
Numerous research studies have shown that taping the knee can considerably minimize knee pain and improve knee function in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Taping can be used alone or along with other treatments.
TENS device
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) therapy is a non-invasive treatment that can be utilized to ease pain. TENS devices send out electrical pulses through the skin and energize the nerves. This lessens inflammation and helps to manage discomfort.
TENS machines are frequently used for short-term discomfort relief, such as after an injury. Some research shows that TENS machines can be beneficial in managing knee pain, though more research is required to establish its long-term effects.
Conclusion
Knee discomfort can be a real headache, but it doesn’t need to be. Following a couple of simple suggestions can keep your knees healthy and pain-free. And if you do get knee discomfort, you can use these pointers to decrease the pain and return to your everyday activities as soon as possible.
Simply put: if you want help dealing with your knees, our professional staff can accommodate you! Give MVMT a call today and we can start relieving your knee discomfort. Now scheduling new appointments!
