Health blog Category: knee pain
Persistent Knee Discomfort and the Road to Relief
Don’t let persistent KNEE PAIN hold you back…
Knee pain is something that everyone will experience at some point in their lifetime. Having knee pain can be the result of many factors and affects all ages. We as physical therapy clinicians work with patients to educate them about their problem in addition to how it can be corrected. So don’t sweat it! We are here to help!
About the Knee
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.
Read full blogThe Beginnings of Knee Arthritis
What does “wear and tear” mean?
When we mention “wear and tear” it typically references normal stress we put on joints such as our knees from just living a relatively normal life. The average person exercises 2-3 times per week with moderate aerobic and resistance exercise. They also likely sit or stand more than 5-6 hours/day. Being under the force of gravity all day everyday creates stress on our joints which along with the normal processes of aging create “wear and tear”. If you have been especially hard on your joints, wear and tear often contributes to arthritis.
Read full blogKnee Weakness Common in All Age Groups
Weakness in the knee is a common problem for every age group and one we treat often at Loudoun Sports Therapy Center.
Symptoms
Our patients typically report:
- Pain in the front of the knee
- Pain with prolonged standing
- Pain with walking or running
- Pain when they are getting out of the car or rotating/twisting the knee
These symptoms often cause the patient to have difficulty performing everyday tasks due to their limitation in motion, strength and pain.
Read full blogKnee Issues: Treatment
Knee issues are a problem in people of all ages. It can start as a result of a minor injury or after exercise. Often with overuse or exercise induced pain, it will generally resolve in a few days however with sports specific or fall type injuries it may not get better and require an immediate visit with a doctor or physical therapist. In the case of arthritis you will begin with a mild discomfort that slowly its worse over time.
Read full blogThe Fancy Word for Knee Discomfort
Patellofemoral pain is a general term used to describe pain that resides in the front of the knee and around the kneecap, also known as the patella. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, PFPS, is also known as both runners’ and jumpers’ knee due to the type of athletes who commonly complain of the problem. Based on the nicknames of PFPS, most people tend to believe that it can only occur in athletes or those who participate in high intensity sports, however it can also occur in the older and more sedentary populations.
Read full blogThe Knee and Arthritis
Arthritis is a degenerative joint condition that occurs overtime. Our joints wear down over our lifetime, and the cartilage or cushioning layer on our bones disappears. When this layer is gone your bones begin to rub other bones. What you might not realize is that knee arthritis specifically, impacts every age group.
Knee Arthritis Symptoms:
- Pain and swelling inside the joint
- Stiffness not only in the joint but also in the surrounding muscles
- Loss of range of motion in your knees
- Bending and extending your knees becomes difficult
- Grinding and popping in your knee joint.
Hamstrings are to Blame for Painful Walking
Having trouble walking, squatting, or experiencing pain around our knee area, is an indicator of a hamstring injury.
Where are Our Hamstrings?
Our hamstring muscle group is located on the back side of our thigh and is made up of three muscles. These three muscles originate on the hip bone and attach at the knee joint. When these muscles contract, your knee bends into a flexed position, when they relax, your knee is able to straighten back out.
Read full blogACL Tears and Sports
The phrase that can strike fear into the hearts of athletes and fans is the dreaded “torn ACL.” Automatically, that athlete is put on the shelf for the season and possibly extending into the next. “6 to 12 month recovery” titles popup on our screens, and we wonder if that athlete will ever be the same. We watch the replay, and questions and thoughts pop into our minds.
“What is an ACL?” “Why does it take so long to come back from an ACL surgery?” “Is that what happened to Robert Griffen III?”
There is a tremendous amount of information available pertaining to the “ACL,” and much of it can be confusing and conflicting.
Say ‘No’ to Knee Problems
Knee pain is a very common problem which can result in difficulty with many daily activities. It can greatly limit our functional mobility. Some people also experience stiffness in and around the knee causing difficulty moving the joint and generalized weakness in the affected leg.
How Can Knee Pain Affect Us?
Having pain or stiffness in our knee can cause:
- Difficulty walking
- Pain with going up or down the stairs
- Pain with squatting
- Difficulty standing up from a chair
- Inability to kneel
- Difficulty with lifting, pushing, or pulling objects.
- Difficulty moving after staying in a prolonged position
- Inability to sit for a period of time.
The Impact of Knee Pain
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.
The number one complaint from someone experiencing any kind of knee problem is pain under or around the knee cap. This type of pain can greatly limit functional mobility.
Some people also experience stiffness in and around the knee making it difficult to move the joint.