Whether you are doing a set of squats or just entering your car, knees are essential to practically all of our movements. But when knee pain is involved, accomplishing everyday tasks becomes more complicated.
To make matters worse, cases of knee pain can become so chronic that it can limit someone’s mobility or leave them limping as they try to go through their usual day.
Coping with constant knee pain can seriously affect your quality of life. At Optimum Health Rehab Woodstock, we aim to address your knee pain with a drug-free approach and look to treating pain at the root source rather than just addressing the symptoms.
Take a chance and call Optimum Health Rehab Woodstock to schedule your first consultation with one of our licensed physical therapists. Reach us at (770) 516-7477 or contact us online to get started.
Find a Team to Create Your Personalized Knee Pain Treatment
Your knees help you do almost anything throughout the day, from getting into bed to lifting heavy objects. Knee pain — especially when it is chronic — can make a huge impact on one’s ability to go about their day.
However, the root cause of knee pain can stem from an array of problems; most commonly, clients experience knee pain because of overuse or injury.
Knee pain is more common than one would think. In fact, one in four adults feels knee pain at any given point in their lifetime.
The team at Optimum Health Rehab Woodstock is ready to serve you and create your custom knee pain treatment plan to help you avoid remaining yet another statistic.
Instead of choosing to live with your pain, find a team of physical therapists who are ready to tackle your pain at the source and work towards making you feel better. Our approach emphasizes non-invasive and drug-free treatment, with a focus on wellness promotion designed to help with your symptoms and simultaneously tackle the underlying issue.
Performing Diagnostics
Before any treatment plans can be created for your knee pain, our team will perform a series of diagnostics and complete an initial consultation. Here, you will work with our staff, who will develop your profile and learn your level of activity, habits, and how you go about using your knees daily. Additionally, you can expect to undergo a physical examination of your knees.
The knee is composed of multiple bones, cartilage, tendons, bursa, and ligaments. All of these parts support a healthy knee function.
Our team will look for any visible bruising and tenderness, check for your range of motion, and apply pressure to the joint to better understand the integrity of your connective tissues.
Imaging and Testing
One of the most crucial parts of a knee pain evaluation is taking images of the knee and its connective tissues. Imaging can be done with one or a combination of techniques best known as X-rays, computerized tomography scans (or CT scans), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Stretches and Exercises
One of the best ways to determine the effects of knee pain is to understand the limits that are created in the body’s range of motion and strength. Knowing where there are areas that can be strengthened will help add valuable techniques to your physical therapy program.
Your physical therapist may choose to also assign you low-impact strengthening exercises at home that can contribute to the goal of reducing knee pain.
What Causes Knee Pain?
Imagine trying to pick up a heavy grocery bag from the ground or simply bending down to tie your shoelaces while dealing with chronic knee pain. When you are suffering from knee pain, these menial tasks can become almost impossible.
At Optimum Health and Rehab, our focus is to determine the cause of knee pain at its source rather than just addressing the symptoms as they come. By strengthening and increasing flexibility in the knees and surrounding areas, many clients find that their pain has become more manageable and, in some cases, sees a severe reduction in its occurrence.
Knee pain can happen for many reasons; however, more commonly, clients face pain as a result of:
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- ACL and PCL Tears
- Tendon injuries
- Cartilage Injuries and other disorders
Properly functioning knees are essential to function. Coping with knee pain can be brutal, especially for those who work long hours on their feet or live an active lifestyle.
Most American adults will experience knee pain at some point in their lives, but they do not just have to deal with the symptoms. Taking on the true cause means doing more than just taking an over-the-counter drug to manage symptoms.
It can require regular exercise, flexibility training, and even wearing supportive gear on a daily basis. If you are facing knee pain and have sought medical attention with no results, physical therapy might be the solution to your pain.
Trauma and Injury to the Knee
Being injured in the knees can be excruciatingly painful and, in many cases, have immediate limits to mobility and range of motion. Whether playing sports or in a car accident, facing injury and trauma to the knees can lead to many years of discomfort and possible pain as you recover.
In some cases, and depending on the severity of the injury, clients might deal with their pain for the remainder of their lifetime.
Injuries can happen quickly and unexpectedly. Athletes and those who are working out should consistently complete a warm-up before they start working out to help prevent injuries and wear protective gear as needed.
What Is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a common cause of — or exacerbating factor to — knee pain. This condition is usually found in clients who are older but is also apparent in those who have experienced some significant type of trauma to their joints.
As people age, they can develop osteoarthritis, a prevalent condition amongst older adults who have overused their knees over time.
As the disease progresses and they continue to age, the connective tissues in the knee degenerate. In cases of osteoarthritis, degeneration happens in the knee joint, leading to inflammation, limited range of motion, and severe chronic pain.
The cartilage — the rubbery texture in between knee joints — usually prevents friction between two connecting bones, but when that cartilage has deteriorated, the two bones are essentially rubbing together, creating severe pain in the affected area.
Increased Obesity Rates
Our knees provide significant support to our bodies, specifically when we are walking or standing. Nevertheless, a client who is dealing with obesity may find additional complications when it comes to knee pain because of added stress on the joints caused by excess weight.
Since 1971, there has been an increase in knee pain by 65%, with these numbers inflated by the significant increase in obesity across age groups. In many cases like these, patients can expect their provider to create a diet plan to help incorporate a healthier lifestyle that will, in turn, help with reducing their knee pain.
Your Custom Knee Pain Treatment Plan
At Woodstock, our team is ready to tackle pain, especially the pain that affects the knees. Our focus is to treat the pain at its root cause with exercises, therapies, and providing supportive braces and other assistive devices.
Our clients can expect a combination of these select treatment options in their treatment plans:
- Range of motion exercises
- Platelet Rich Plasma Treatments
- Functional training
- Manual therapy/Chiropractic sessions
- Hot and cold compresses
- Electric therapy
- And sessions to help adopt new lifestyle changes that can help reduce pain
How to Quickly Relieve Knee Pain
There are some tips and tricks that can help reduce some symptoms of knee pain. While it depends heavily on what is causing the pain, clients can practice hot and cold compresses, rest, and wear compression sleeves to provide support and added stability.
When in doubt, talk to an expert. Knee pain can become difficult to manage, even when addressing the pain with home remedies.
Using Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS)
Clients can opt to take over-the-counter, anti-inflammatory medication but will be running the risk of experiencing unpleasant side effects. These drugs usually do not require a prescription and provide adequate temporary relief to the symptoms of chronic knee pain.
However, while these work well with many treatment plans, clients will be running the risk of side effects caused by the drug, and they may experience dizziness, drowsiness, swelling in their extremities, headaches, and gastrointestinal issues.
Choose the Non-invasive Route
Many clients report that when they go to their doctors, they will quickly dismiss their pain with temporary over-the-counter drugs or more serious approaches like knee replacement surgery. While in some cases, surgery is necessary, seeking an alternative method to pain management has helped many clients manage or reduce their pain.
Our approach at Optimum is to see how we can help without the need to go under the knife with strategies designed to effectively target problem areas.
Visit One of Our Georgia Clinics for Knee Pain Management
Work With Optimum to Reduce Your Knee Pain
Coping with knee pain can be a real bummer, especially if you are still responsible for handling multiple tasks and errands throughout your day. Those who suffer from knee pain will find it difficult to exercise, walk, and even struggle to pick objects off the ground.
While there is not always a solution to absolve causes of knee pain, there are techniques and exercises that can help reduce the effects of your condition.
The best course of reducing pain is targeting it at the source with help from professionals with decades of combined physical therapy experience. Our team is knowledgeable in the latest techniques and strategies to help minimize knee pain.
Let the experts at Optimum Health Rehab Woodstock be your support as you navigate the path of managing your pain. You can reach us directly at (770) 516-7477 or contact us online to schedule your appointment today.