Persistent knee pain can have a disruptive effect on your quality of life. Basic activities like getting up out of a chair or climbing stairs can become difficult or even impossible. It can even lead to some perplexing situations, such as knee pain when climbing up stairs but not when going down. Specific symptoms can vary due to the location, severity and type of knee injury or condition you have. Because of this, it’s critical to work with your doctor to reach a clear diagnosis for any type of knee pain that does not improve in a few days to a week at the most. 

One condition that is a common cause for this type of knee pain is called chondromalacia patellae, or more commonly, “runner’s knee.” This refers to damaged cartilage under the kneecap that can cause pain when bending and straightening the knee, such as when you climb stairs. For these and other knee injuries, physical therapy can be a common treatment recommendation. 

Working with your physical therapist for knee pain relief

The goal of physical therapy is to improve overall functioning through a number of different treatments designed to strengthen the body and increase flexibility. When you first meet with a physical therapist, he or she will want to determine the extent of your knee injury and identify some of the physical contributors. This is accomplished through a detailed assessment that includes questions about your symptoms and mobility issues, a physical examination, and posture and movement tests. 

By isolating the movements that are causing you the most pain, your therapist can then develop an effective treatment plan that includes: 

• Movement and stability training to learn more knee-friendly biomechanics
• Strengthening exercises to help the muscles that support the knee
• Range-of-motion and flexibility stretches
• Manual therapies to help loosen up the knee and mobilize the joint

Your therapist may also discuss the importance of lifestyle changes like eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise, which are important parts of knee health. 

Knee pain treatment for an active lifestyle at Rehab Access

To learn more about the benefits of our physical therapy programs for knee pain to help you get back to the everyday activities you’ve been missing, from climbing the stairs to playing golf, contact us today. We’ll be happy to help you schedule your initial appointment at one of our state-of-the-art clinics.