Physiotherapy for Knee arthritis

During our day-to-day activities, a harmonious combination of structures within our body work together to allow us to move. Activities such as sleeping, getting out of bed, brushing our teeth, getting dressed, travelling, work or participating in an activity we enjoy require sustained sitting, standing, walking, lifting, and bending to name a few. For most people, we don’t think about the structures in our body that get us through our day until something doesn’t feel right.

When to visit a physiotherapist for arthritis treatment

When we experience pain, swelling, clicking or instability, we suddenly become more aware of our bodies rather than the activity we are doing and that is the moment when we should consider getting assessed and treated by a Physiotherapist.

Let’s look at an example; A 50-year-old Accountant previously diagnosed with knee arthritis likes to walk his dog first thing in the morning for 20 minutes. He noticed occasional pain related to his knee arthritis with working out at the gym and running, but one day, he felt a pinch in his knee while going downstairs. He thought it would go away after a few days, but the pain persisted and now every time he walks, he notices the pain in the knee. He attributed his pain to his knee arthritis and thought not much could be done to solve this occasional ache. His knee arthritis has never stopped him from walking his dog or going up and down stairs. In fact, he continues to do his activities of daily living just like before, but the difference is, he thinks about his knee arthritis a lot more then he used to. He learned that Physiotherapy could help, and he came in to Physiocure Physiotherapy and Rehab Ctr to get his knee assessed and treated.

Our Physiotherapist diagnosed him with a medial meniscal strain in his right knee, a tight IT band, weak gluts and quads, and poor balance in addition to his knee arthritis. We started physiotherapy treatment right away including soft tissue release, mobilizations, taping, strengthening and education. We taught him how to fix his walking pattern and what specific exercises to perform at home to help him with not only his knee arthritis, but all the other factors contributing to his knee pain.  

Exercises are prescribed based on how you present in the clinic and are specific to each person’s individual needs. This patient needed stretches for his ITB and calf, balance exercises, and strengthening exercises such as squats and knee extensions. We taught him how to correctly perform each exercise and supervised his progression based on how he presented to the clinic on each visit. Within three weeks of treatment, he has noticed stairs and walking have become easier and pain free. He is now more focused on the activities of daily living rather than his knee arthritis and can finally enjoy walks with his dog again.

If you have knee arthritis or a pain that you are noticing more than during an activity you enjoy, book a free 15 minute consultation with one of our Physiotherapists today.

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