Health blog Category: Knee Pain
Difficulty Walking or Standing Up from a Chair?
By Angie Austin, LPTA
Many people associate knee pain with the older population. However, we treat patients of all ages for knee pain. Whether it’s due to arthritis or an injury, it is important to know what causes that knee pain.
The knee is a large hinge joint that gives you the ability to bend and straighten your knee, which is necessary for day to day functional tasks like getting up from a chair or going up and down stairs.
The IT Band’s role and Preventing IT Band Syndrome
By: Alyssa Burke, PTA
The IT Band is a part of body that is somewhat of a mystery to many. You’ve probably heard of the IT band. But are you confident about where it is or what it does? We’ll answer these questions today. The IT band is the abbreviation for the iliotibial band. This band is an extension of your hip muscles. It is a long band of connective tissue or fascia that runs down the outside of your thigh from your hip to just below your knee.
Difficulty kneeling, squatting or using stairs…
The number one complaint from someone experiencing any kind of knee problem is pain under or around the knee cap. Any kind of knee pain or stiffness makes simple daily activities such as walking, going up or down the stairs, squatting, and standing up from a chair, difficult.
This kind of pain can greatly limit our functional mobility. Some people also experience stiffness in and around the knee making it difficult to move the joint.
Why Problems in this Joint Should Be Handled Right Away
By: Alyssa Burke, PTA
Are you feeling weak in the knees, but not in a good way? There are many different factors that can cause people to experience knee pain. We often don’t think about how much we move our knee joints in a day but when we are experiencing knee pain we become more aware of how much we are moving. Some of the common knee problems that people experience are:
- Osteoarthritis
- Tendinitis
- Ligaments sprains and tears
Unfortunately, we cannot control if we will develop osteoarthritis in our lifetime.
Read full blogIncreased activity putting increased stress on the knee joints…
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.
Read full blogExperiencing weakness, limited range of motion or pain in the knees?
Knee Arthritis is a very common condition that we treat here at Loudoun Sports Therapy. Arthritis in this joint actually impacts every age group. Even younger athletes deal with arthritis. Arthritis is the break down of the cartilage between the bones in a joint.
Given how much wear and tear our knee joints undergo throughout our lifetimes, it might not surprise you that arthritis is most common in these joints. Knee arthritis can cause a lot of problems such as pain, limited range of motion, weakness, swelling and difficulty performing daily and functional activities.
Avoiding high impact activities because of joint discomfort
Knee injuries are one of the most common injuries that we see in physical therapy, whether it is sports related or just degenerative changes that occur as we age. Some of the most common injuries are sprains and strains, osteoarthritis, ligament injuries and meniscus injuries. All of these cause pain, weakness and a decrease in functional activities.
Ligament injuries more commonly occur with the more active patient population. Sports such as soccer and basketball that involve jumping, planting of the leg or a change in direction can cause ACL tears.
Read full blogEver slipped or changed directions suddenly?
By: Jeremy Schain PT, DPT, CSCS
Do you ever find yourself limping through the last few aisles of the grocery store? Or maybe you pass up a golf trip with friends for fear of having to quit before the eighteenth hole? Do your first few steps out of bed in the morning cause you to grimace in discomfort? Knee pain can affect the lives of people of all ages, inhibiting both routine daily function and the ability to exercise.
Ever Walked with a Limp or on Your Toes Because of Knee Pain?
Knee issues can begin for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, knee pain can be attributed to a specific incident like a fall or an injury while playing sports. Knee problems can begin when you take a wrong step as you are run or walk. A knee issue could start after you walk us more stairs one day than you normally do or just by stepping down awkwardly from just one or two steps. Sometimes knee pain just occurs for no apparent reason.
Read full blogNeed Some Convincing to Start Running? Here are 10 Reasons
Whether you are pounding the pavement for a short jog or you’re a routine racer, running is great cardiovascular training. It is a gratifying way to maintain overall fitness. Although the act of running itself may initially seem daunting if you’re not an avid runner, you will reap the physical benefits within a few weeks. The key is to start slowly and add distance incrementally to decrease the risk of injury.
Here are the top 10 health benefits of running:
- Improve Longevity: Running 1.5 – 2 hours 20- 30 minutes per week can increase your lifespan by 5-6 years!
