Knee Physical Therapy
The knee is the most commonly injured joint in all age groups. It is especially susceptible to damage during athletic activities and exercise. Many knee injuries can be treated conservatively with rest, ice, mobilization, and physical therapy. Knee pain may be the result of an injury, such as a ruptured ligament or torn cartilage. However, certain medical conditions, including arthritis, gout and infection, may be at the root of your knee pain. Some common causes of knee pain and injuries include:
- A blow to the knee, either from contact during sports, a fall or a car accident
- Repeated stress or overuse, which may occur from playing sports or any other activity that requires frequent repetition.
- Sudden turning, pivoting, stopping, cutting from side to side, which happens frequently during certain sports.
- Awkward landings from a fall or from jumping during sports, such as basketball.
- Rapidly growing bones, which are especially prone to injury during sports.
- Degeneration from aging.
Knee Conditions and Treatments We Provide
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Frequently Asked Questions
If we are asking you to do something that is hurting too much, let us know! Physical therapy should not be severely painful. It is not common to be so sore that patients are in pain or it affects their daily life. If this ever happens during or after an appointment, let us know and we will adapt your program.
We recommend budgeting 40-60 minutes for a typical therapy session. The only exception to this will be your first visit, which can take about 20 minutes longer due to the physical therapy evaluation your therapist will provide. We also recommend showing up about 10-15 minutes early to your first visit. This way, you can complete the paperwork before your visit time and streamline the process.
A typical order for physical therapy will ask for 2-3 visits per week for 4-6 weeks. Sometimes the order will specify something different. What generally happens is for the first 2-3 weeks, we recommend 3x per week. This is because it will be the most intensive portion of your treatment. After that, it is common to taper to 2x weekly, based on your level of function and progress.
Yes. Physical therapy works based on the science of how the body rebuilds and heals. The biggest killer of progress is inconsistency. We recommend adhering to your prescribed sessions agreed upon in your PT Eval to achieve desired results.
A physical therapy visit lasts about 40-60 minutes. The actual contents of the visit vary based on your diagnosis/need, but typically what happens is:
- You check in with the receptionist, make any appointments necessary, and we discuss your health insurance benefits with you.
- You go into the gym. You can change clothes if you need to, then begin therapy.
- You perform 6-8 various exercises and stretches. These can include therapeutic band exercises, light body weight exercises, or minimal weights. The stretches will promote strength, stability, improved range of motion, and pain relief.
- We can initiate other techniques to include manual work, taping, cupping, and dry needling as needed.
- The therapist makes recommendations based on your progress. These can include altering the frequency of visits, making additions/alterations to your home exercise plan, or things to do before your next visit.