- Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
- Meniscus Tears
- ACL/MCL/LCL Ligament Strains & Tears
- IT Band Syndrome
- Knee Replacement Rehabilitation
- Chronic Osteoarthritis
- Postsurgical Arthroscopic Knee Rehabilitation
Knee Pain
The knee is the most complex joint in the body. It has to bear the weight of the body while moving through an incredible range. With high impact activities such as running and sports. Without consistent stretching and especially without being very active, the tissues around the knee become tight. In addition, if the muscles in the front of the knee become weaker, that can lead to more abnormal forces on the knee joint. All of these problems lead to increased wear and tear process on the knee which results in pain and loss of range that the knee joint can move on.
Tendonitis
The ending of the word “itis” is defined as inflammation. Therefore, tendonitis is inflammation of a tendon, which connects muscles to bones. Commonly, patellar tendon is the tendon that connects quadriceps muscle to the tibia bone and can become inflamed resulting in a condition also known as runner’s knee. Symptoms start from pain during athletic motion, swelling and discomfort during daily activities which could impact quality of life especially in young adults.
Meniscus Injury
The meniscus is a layer of cartilage between the lower part of the knee (the tibial plateau) and the femur bone up, The meniscus is responsible for providing cushioning and absorbing forces away from the knee joint while guiding movement. With injuries, such as twisting injuries, with poor alignment or weak musculature, the meniscus can become injured and even torn. Many times, meniscus injuries are mild to moderate and can be rehabilitated with physiotherapy. However, at times surgical intervention may be necessary to deal with the torn areas of the meniscus. Physiotherapy is very important in the full recovery after this surgical procedure.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an important ligament that maintains stability in the knee. This ligament can be injured with sports or falls, especially with blows to the knee from the side, while the foot is planted on the ground as happens in sports .The ACL can be sprained or ruptured. When an ACL injury involves a sprain, the ligament is overstretched and micro-tearing results there is typically swelling that occurs in the knee and a feeling of instability with walking. Sprains are often treatable without surgery, while severe strain or ruptured ACL, most often typically requires surgery.
Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) injuries
The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is an important ligament that checks the backward sliding of the two knees bones. This ligament can be injured with sports or falls, especially with blows to the front of the knee while the foot is planted on the ground.
The PCL can be sprained which means it is still intact. or ruptured Grades 1 and 2 are often treatable without surgery, while grade 3 is most often a complete tear and typically requires surgery.
Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) injuries
The medial Collateral ligament (MCL) is an important ligament that maintains the inner knee stability. This ligament can be injured with sports or twisting injuries especially with blows to the outside of the knee while the foot is planted on the ground. It is sometimes for the MCL to be injured along with the medial meniscus.
Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL) injuries
The lateral Collateral ligament (LCL) is an important ligament that maintains the outer side to side sliding of the femur bone on the tibia bone in the knee. This ligament can be injured with sports or falls, which could be overstretched and micro-tearing or a complete tear that typically requires surgery.
Poor Balance / Risk of Falling
Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of serious injuries. Our ability to keep the balance when walking or moving can change for a number of reasons. As we age, there is a natural loss of balance due to slowing down of reflexes, muscle weakness and tissue changes. In addition, arthritis in the ankles, knee or hips can affect balance. Furthermore, any neurological changes such as Parkinson’s Disease, spinal cord injuries, nerve injuries, back problems and much more can play a role in diminished balance.
Our ability to keep the balance relies mainly on 3 factors. Our ability to perceive movement comes from the nerve sensors in our joints and muscles, our vision and the position of our head in space through the vestibular system in the inner ear. When any one of these factors is not optimum, our ability to balance is affected and our risk for falling greatly increases. The good news is that there is a lot that can easily be done to improve your ability to balance, which improves your walking and makes the risk of falling significantly less.
Physiotherapy Management
Physiotherapy is the first line in conservative treatment for knee injuries/pain. Our trained physiotherapists at “BetterLife Physiotherapy” are experts in pinpointing the source of the impairment throughout certain measures such as measuring your range of movement, strength of muscles around, and the relevant special tests. After we pinpoint the injured area, we formulate a treatment plan with goals to relieve your swelling, pain and begin restoring range of motion, enhancing your balance. The end result is to help you to have better quality of life and to go back to pre injury level of function. At “BetterLife Physiotherapy” we believe that hands-on therapy could improve joint mechanics and movement, our up-to-date modalities are our assistants tools to reach your goals of treatment.
