Rebuilding Strong Knees: Physical Therapy for Injury Rehabilitation
We regularly work with athletes, which means we frequently see patients with knee injuries. Sometimes, these knee injuries require surgery. Sometimes not. But in either case, our dedicated physical therapists play a crucial role in our patients’ knee injury rehabilitation process.
Knee injuries ran the gamut from a total rupture of the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) to mild pain and inflammation in the patellar tendon. But even mild injuries can significantly impact your ability to participate in everyday activities. And when you’re an athlete–or even just a physically active person–a knee injury can keep you from training the way you’d like.
What you need, of course, is knee injury rehabilitation. This comprehensive process focuses on restoring strength, mobility, and function to the knee, helping you get back to your regular routine. The physical therapists at UNIQ Physical Therapy have extensive experience helping people rehabilitate after knee injuries (and knee surgeries). Using a combination of exercises, manual therapy, and other techniques, we’ll help get you back in the game.
Today, we want to give you a glimpse into what you can expect when you visit our (town) clinic to rehabilitate a knee injury. Keep reading to learn more!
Why is Knee Injury Rehabilitation so Important?
Whether you’ve had knee surgery or are rehabilitating a knee injury without surgery, completing a comprehensive rehabilitation program is crucial for helping you restore full function and preventing future issues.
Rehabilitation is especially important after knee surgeries like ACL or meniscus repair. While athletes opt for these procedures to ensure they can return to their chosen sport, surgery dramatically impacts the body. It takes time to get you back to full strength and function. But if you skip rehabilitation, you risk long-term issues like chronic pain or mobility restrictions.
However, rehab is also essential even when a knee injury doesn’t require surgery. Physical therapy helps address pain and improve function, but it also addresses any muscular imbalances or weakness that may have contributed to the injury in the first place–making you less likely to injure yourself in the future.
Regardless of the specifics, the rehabilitation process has one primary goal: to help you regain full function so you can return to your normal activities with confidence.
Step by Step: What We Do During Knee Injury Rehabilitation
Assess Your Condition
- The first thing we’ll do is conduct a thorough evaluation of your knee, including your range of motion, strength, and any swelling or pain, so that we can create a personalized treatment plan. If necessary, we’ll also work with other members of your healthcare team.
Manage Pain and Swelling
- If needed, we can help you manage any initial pain and swelling. This is especially important if you’re rehabilitating after knee surgery. We also incorporate early pain management into treatment plans for less severe knee injuries. Techniques we might use include compression, careful mobilization exercises, and hands-on manual therapy.
Restore Range of Motion
- When you’re ready, we’ll work to improve your knee’s mobility. This is essential for restoring normal knee function, especially after surgery–early movement helps prevent scar tissue that can cause long-term complications. We’ll show you targeted mobility exercises and ensure you perform them correctly.
Build Strength Around Your Knee
- As your knee heals and your mobility improves, we’ll begin strengthening the muscles surrounding it, such as your quads, hamstrings, and calves. These muscles support and stabilize the knee joint, helping to reduce pain and paving the way for a full restoration of your knee’s function.
Improve Balance and Proprioception
- Another key component in restoring knee functionality is improving balance and proprioception (awareness of your body in space). We’ll integrate tailored balance challenges into your physical therapy sessions to gradually improve your balance and stability, helping to reduce your fall risk and prevent future injuries.
Help You Return to the Game
- The last step in knee injury rehabilitation involves guiding you through exercises that mimic daily activities and sports-specific movements, like walking, running, or jumping. In addition to functional training, we’ll provide you with a return-to-sport schedule that includes modifications and guidelines to help you get back to what you love without risking injury.
Schedule An Appointment to Learn More
Do you suspect you’ve recently injured your knee? Are you scheduled for an ACL repair or similar knee surgery? Give the team at UNIQ Physical Therapy a call to get started with a personalized rehabilitation plan!
