Have you increased your activity level in the past month? This can create increased stress on our joint and muscles and when we haven’t properly prepared these joints and muscles for that stress, problems can occur. When you start to have knee pain that’s when you really start to notice and appreciate how big of a role your knees play in your day-to-day activities and the things you so for fun. Going up and down stairs becomes a dreaded part of the day. Getting on and off the floor when playing with your children is no longer an easy task. You start to think twice before squatting down to get something off the floor or out from a lower cabinet.
Other activities that also often become bothersome when your knees start hurting include:
- Prolonged walking
- Running/jogging
- Pivoting
- Going up/down curbs or ramps
- Bending your knee all the way in to put on your shoes and socks
- Getting in or out of the car
The knee pain can be either constant or it may come and go depending on the severity of the issue. Patients with knee pain will usually describe it as achy, sharp, dull, intense with movement and/or throbbing. Some people experience popping, clicking, locking, or a grinding noise from the knees.
Different things can cause pain in this joint. Here are a few common causes:
- Poor mechanics
- Poor strength (specifically in the glute muscles)
- Traumatic injury
All these things can lead to issues in your knee and though it may be gradual, it will begin to alter the way you perform your everyday activities causing you to compensate with other muscles and joints to avoid feeling that discomfort in your knee. If the underlying cause is not addressed, the knee pain will persist and continue to get worse. Knee pain is not something that will go away on its own. The root cause has to be addressed properly.
The good news is that physical therapy is an effective and conservative treatment option that handle any kind of knee pain and help you prevent more invasive measures such as surgery or injections or medications. Physical therapy is much cheaper than surgery, much safer than masking the pain with medication and not to mention, easier than just continuing to deal with the pain. An evaluation with a Doctor Of Physical Therapy at Loudoun Sports Therapy Center will allow them to identify the underlying cause of your knee pain and what needs to be done to address it. Through hands-on treatment and specifically targeted exercises, you will be able to improve your overall lower extremity function and help alleviate the factors that were causing you pain.
Call Loudoun Sports Therapy Center TODAY at 703-450-4300 and start your road to getting your life back without knee pain!
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