Health blog Category: knee
Patellofemoral Dysfunction
Pain around the knee or knee cap is generally referred to as Patellofemoral Dysfunction.
Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is a condition in which the tissue or bone around the knee is damaged due to injury or overuse. This is commonly seen in athletes but can occur in nonathletes as well.
Causes:
- Muscle imbalances – ITB tightness, VMO weakness
- Alignment of the knee cap
- Overuse or repetitive activity – such as stairs, kneeling, squatting movements
- High impact activities – sports
Pain will generally decrease with rest and ice, but may return with resuming activity.
Read full blogTop 3 Tests for Knee Injuries
Knee pain and knee injuries is often the result of an imbalance in tension of muscles. When certain muscles are tighter or weaker than others, it affects the way the joint moves. When we assess someone who has knee pain, we often find that their patella, or the knee cap, is not tracking properly due to tight connective tissue. When the kneecap rubs against the sides of the knee joint, it can cause irritation and pain.
Read full blogPatellofemoral Pain Syndrome
Patellofemoral Pain (PFP) is considered a diagnosis of exclusion for anterior knee pain (pain in the front of your knee or around your kneecap). Structurally, there is no specific tissue that is seriously damaged. Despite its seemingly vague description, this diagnosis is commonly the answer given. Let’s dive into what it means!
What is the patellofemoral joint:
It is where the kneecap (patella) and thigh bone (femur) meet at the front of the knee.
Read full blogTightness in Hamstrings
We’ve all been there, we spend a long time sitting and when we go to stand up and walk we feel a pull in the back of our thigh and feel like we can’t stand completely upright. Those tight muscles we feel stiffening up are our hamstrings. These are the muscles that we commonly feel to be tight or restricting with our motion in our legs or sometimes our lower backs. The hamstrings are a large muscle group made up of 3 muscles:
- semitendinosus
- semimembranosus
- biceps femoris
These muscles attach from the bottom of our pelvis to just below our knee.
Read full blogCreaky and Stiff Joints Got You Down?
As we get older or the more active or reversely inactive we may be we all start to notice; creaky joints, joint pain, and stiffness at some point in our lives. These symptoms affect all joints however most particularly the knees because of their weight bearing function. Maybe you have become more inactive recently just sitting around and you’re noticing joint pain and stiffness. Or maybe you have been doing much of the same activities or exercises in attempts to stay active while we all adjust to a new sense of normalcy.
Read full blogRecovering from a Hamstring Strain
The hamstrings are often neglected by many. Hamstring injuries are commonly seen in the PT clinic. The most common injury that we see in the hamstrings is hamstring strains. The hamstrings are a large group of muscles that sits on the back of your thigh. They help extend your hip and bend your knee. They are made up of 3 muscles:
- The semitendinosus
- The semimembranosus
- Biceps femoris
A strain happens when there is a tear in the muscle.
Read full blogHere’s What to Do If Surgery Is Coming Up!
Pre-op physical therapy can help prepare you for what is going to happen. It will help you establish your goals before and after surgery as well as determine what your expectations are.
What to expect?
- Examination to set a plan of care and determine a baseline
- Set goals for before and after surgery
- Plan and education of post op and recovery
- Progression of range of motion and strength to improve overall function
- Use of any assistive device currently using or that may be needed after surgery
- How to perform transfers and get around if weight bearing status will be different after surgery
The importance of exercises prior to surgery:
- Being able to set and target muscles around the surgical site before surgery will improve ability to perform after surgery
- Strengthen above and below the surgical area
- Range of motion of the area to enhance mobility
Why should you come to physical therapy before surgery?
Read full blogIT Band Syndrome AKA “Runners Knee”
I’m sure most of you have heard the terms runner’s knee or IT Band at some point in time… Now understanding what it means may be another thing. But don’t worry I’m gonna tell you all you need to know. ITB syndrome is very common and you may be suffering without knowing.
ITB refers to iliotibial band which is a band of tissue that runs on the outside of your leg from your hip to your knee.
The Why and Where of Arthritis
Pain due to arthritis is often chronic, and can cause very dull, achy and stiff feeling joints. Often times, the stiffness and achiness is worse after staying in one position for a prolonged period of time. For example:
- Sitting
- Sleeping
- Standing
Why does arthritis happen and where?
Arthritis commonly happens due to normal joint changes that occur from moving and being under gravity, but can also happen in people who have been sedentary.
Read full blogOsteoarthritis in the Knee
Osteoarthritis of the knee results from the breakdown of the cartilage (a protective tissue) that covers the end of the bones in the knee joint (femur and tibia). This breakdown of cartilage results in bone on bone (femur and tibia) contact which is the primary reason for pain associated with osteoarthritis of the knee. Age, mechanical wear and genetics all contribute to this breakdown of cartilage over time. The treatment for osteoarthritis is especially important because without proper education, you can make it worse and rely too much on pain medication or walk yourself into surgery.
Symptoms of Osteoarthritis
- Pain in the knee joint (especially when you stand or bend the knee)
- Swelling (especially after standing for prolonged periods of time or after exercise)
- Stiffness/restricted range of motion (inability to bend or extend the knee without pain)
- Creaking or crackling sensation in the knee joint
- Weakness in the knee joint or surrounding muscles
Causes
- Overuse- age, excessive load on the knee with weight bearing exercises or repetitive movements
- Muscle imbalances or weaknesses- creating uneven stress on the bones in the knee joint
- Injury- trauma to the knee joint from contact or weight bearing rotation of the knee specifically the meniscus (a cushioning and protective structure that sits on the tibial surfaces both medially and laterally)
- Weight- excess weight or obesity
- Genetics- inherited abnormalities in the shape of the bones in the knee or biochemical factors such as rheumatoid arthritis.