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Hip and Knee Pain

Hip and Knee Pain Relief 

Hip and knee pain are quite common problems for many people today, especially among patients who suffer from chronic conditions like arthritis. If you suffer from hip or knee pain, you’re more likely to have other physical problems as well — mainly because you have a higher chance of falling. According to The Arthritis Foundation, knee pain sufferers have a 25% higher chance of falling than those without knee pain. This means that you need to seek help for a couple of reasons: both to alleviate your pain and to reduce the chances of injury. Contact our physical therapy team to get help today.

What Is Hip and Knee Pain?

Your knees and hips are both large weight-bearing joints — in fact, they’re some of the most important joints in your entire body. If you have hip pain, you might have mild, moderate, or even severe pain around your outer hip, in your upper thighs, in your groin, or on the outer part of your buttocks. This pain can be erratic and is sometimes unpredictable. You may have pain mainly while exercising or it may be worse when you’re sitting down.

Knee pain, like hip pain, can be different for every person. It tends to be worst when in motion, but the pain often lingers even when you’re at rest. Knee pain is often accompanied by swelling, stiffness, and problems with straightening your leg out completely.

Hip and knee pain are usually separate, but many people who suffer from conditions like arthritis will experience both of these kinds of pain. While hip and knee pain can be very difficult and can even cause disability if not treated, there are effective treatments. Your physical therapist can help with this type of joint pain.

The Causes of Hip and Knee Pain

Many patients say that it seems odd to have joint pain in some of the body’s strongest joints, the hips. However, your hip joints are still prone to wearing with age or excessive usage and this can cause hip pain.

Another reason for hip pain is damage caused by a fall. Sometimes, even the smallest of fractures can lead to serious pain. Arthritis causes your hip joint lining to deteriorate, which can lead to serious pain. Bursitis is another common cause of hip pain. It happens when the cushioning sacs between your joints and connective tissues grow inflamed, typically due to repetition. With tendinitis, your hip tendons get inflamed and cause hip pain. It’s also typically a result of overuse.  Hip pain can also be caused by low back pain, sacroiliac dysfunction or tightness in your hips.  A physical therapy assessment can help to pinpoint the problem area causing the hip pain.

Knee pain, like hip pain, can happen due to wearing down of the knee joint over time. Knee fractures can be difficult to heal and are common causes of knee pain. Knee pain is often connected to ligament injuries.  Weakness in the quad muscle can cause poor knee cap movement.  Hip, low back and even foot issues can affect the knee. Your physical therapist can help to determine the cause of your knee pain.

In an anterior cruciate ligament injury, the knee is damaged due to sudden stops or directional changes like those in basketball. If you play a sport that requires frequent knee twisting, you may be at risk or meniscus injury. A meniscus injury is usually torn cartilage, and it can be quite painful. While it’s more common among athletes, a meniscus injury can happen to anyone.

How Physical Therapy Can Help Hip and Knee Pain

Physical therapy is now widely accepted as one of the best healing options for patients who suffer from hip and knee pain. When you undergo physical therapy for hip pain or knee pain, you’re getting a customized program that focuses on not only pain relief but also on long-term healing.

Your physical therapist will also help you rebuild strength and improve mobility so you can have full knee or hip function again, in addition to pain relief treatments like ice application, electrical stimulation and ultrasound therapy. You’ll do closely supervised exercises at our facility, and your physical therapist may also teach you specially prescribed exercises to do at home. Ask us about our Class IV Laser treatments to see if they can benefit you.

Physical therapy always focuses on doing recovery the right way, the non-invasive way, and the safe way. If you want to get rapid pain relief as well as actual healing, contact our facility today.  Relieve pain in knee with physical therapy. We’re here to help you heal! Visit us at Healing Hands Physical Therapy 58 Parkland Plaza, Suite 100, Ann Arbor, MI 48103.

FAQs

What causes knee pain?

Your knees are hinge joints that allow for the forward-and-backward motions within the joint. The knee is one of the largest joints in your body, made up of a complex system of bones, tendons, and ligaments. Because of this, the knee can be easily injured due to overexertion or repetitive motions. Additionally, knee pain can be caused due to an underlying ailment. Some of the most common causes of knee pain are sprains, strains, fractures, tears, dislocation, tendinitis, bursitis, and arthritis and weakness causing poor knee cap tracking.  The alignment of your pelvis, spine and SI joint, as well as foot issues can also contribute to knee pain.  A physical therapist's assessment will help to determine where the pain is coming from.

How long should knee pain last?

Some knee pain can ease on its own. However, if you notice persistent pain, you should contact a physical therapist. Many people try to push through the pain that they feel; however, this can actually cause an issue to worsen and become more problematic. Sharp or dull pain in the knee should be paid attention to and not pushed through. If pain persists, especially for three months or longer, it is in your best interest to contact a physical therapist, as that can be an indication of a chronic condition.

Is walking good for knee pain?

Knee pain can be debilitating, making it difficult to walk, run, and move. While exercise can certainly help heal the root cause of your knee pain, it is important to make sure to only do so under the discretion of your physical therapist. Your treatment plan will largely consist of targeted exercises and manual treatments; however, additional pain relief modalities may also be added as your physical therapist deems fit. This will help you improve any problem areas and prevent further injury from occurring.

What is the best therapy for knee pain?

Our licensed physical therapists will examine your knee for signs of misalignment or structural damage, in addition to examining your stance, posture, gait, and range of motion. After your physical exam is complete, your physical therapist will prescribe a physical therapy plan for you, aimed at relieving unnatural stresses and strains, and normalizing your joint function. Treatment plans for knee pain typically include activity modification, manual therapy, strength and capacity training, range of motion restoration, graded exposure to previously painful activities, and patient education regarding activity modification.

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