Knee Osteoarthritis

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Osteoarthritis of the knee can be painful as the knee is needed to move with sit to stand, walking, squatting and bending. The knees take a lot of wear and tear over the years leading to a degeneration of the cartilage that lines the joint. As the cartilage wears over time, the joint becomes stiffer and the muscles around the knee generally weaken over time. This compounds the effects on the knee causing grinding and wearing. In advanced stages, bony spurs can form around the joint and even change the shape of the joint.

 

Most minor to moderate cases of knee osteoarthritis can highly benefit from physical therapy. Physical therapy can help with recovery of range of motion, strength, walking skills, and pain management.  In advanced stages a total or partial knee replacement may be needed to repair the damaged joint.

 

 

 

How physical therapy helps

The pain associated with osteoarthritis of the knee comes from inflammation in and around the joint from wear and tear. Tight muscles, tendons, ligaments and tissues occur with osteoarthritis further limiting joint movement. In addition, weakness of the knee and hip muscles generally occurs because of the loss of movement.

 

Physical therapy can improve joint mobility, range of motion and muscle strength in mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis. Our hands-on therapy and specialized exercises normally achieve a marked improvement in your knee range of motion. First, we thoroughly evaluate the mechanics of your knee joint, walking and muscle coordination. By pinpointing the specific areas that need attention, we formulate a plan to quickly relieve your pain, improve your motion and walking. 

 

After total knee replacement (also called a total knee arthroplasty), physical therapy helps with recovery of range of motion, pain management, strength, balance and walking skills, and endurance. Physical therapy in the hospital and outpatient facilities is highly important in the recovery from a knee replacement surgery.  Commonly, patients say, "Why did I have this surgery? I am worse off now." You must be patient. Give yourself at least 3 months, although it will take up to a full year to fully recover.