How Physical Therapy Can Help People Over 50 Resolve Knee Pain Once and for All
Have you noticed your knees seem more stiff in the mornings or after you’ve been sitting for a long time? Do you hear your knees snap, crackling, and popping on the stairs? Our McCabe and Brady Physical Therapy.
Physical therapists will help you find relief and help improve your function and help you get back to a more active lifestyle.
If you’re in the more “mature” stages of life, you have likely started to notice your knees don’t feel quite the same as when you were young. The good news is that there’s a lot you can do to help them feel good again!
In the days of old, the belief was that pain was a normal part of getting older. Fortunately, physical therapy has consistently demonstrated that knee pain is treatable. The benefits of exercise have been widely researched and documented by several peer-reviewed journals. We now know with certainty that there is a lot you can do to minimize pain and maintain function with a well-designed exercise program. Our McCabe and Brady Physical Therapy.
physical therapists have proven results helping people of all ages deal with knee pain and injuries. We’ll conduct a comprehensive evaluation to identify all the factors contributing to your situation and give you the tools to get your knees in tip-top shape!
Call today to request an appointment with one of our experts!
Common causes of knee pain for people over 50
Knee pain is a common problem, especially among people over the age of 50. It can be caused by various factors, including arthritis, sprains/strains and injuries to the joint, and overuse-type injuries on the knee.
The most common causes of knee pain include the following:
Arthritis:
- Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the joints wears down, leading to pain, stiffness, and limited movement.
- Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the joints, leading to pain, swelling, and decreased mobility.
Sprains/strains and injuries to the joint:
- A muscle strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon caused by overstretching or tearing. Symptoms of a muscle strain include pain, swelling, bruising, and difficulty moving the affected area.
- A sprain occurs in the ligaments. Ligament tears are injuries to the tough, fibrous tissues that connect bones to each other and provide stability to the joint, leading to pain, instability, and reduced mobility.
- Meniscus tears are injuries to the cartilage in the knee joint that can cause pain, swelling, and limited mobility.
Overuse-type injuries:
- Bursitis is a condition that occurs when the bursae, small fluid-filled sacs that cushion the joints become inflamed, causing pain and limited movement.
- Tendinitis is when the tendons, the fibrous tissues that connect muscles to bones, become inflamed, leading to pain and reduced mobility.
These conditions can lead to significant pain, reduced mobility, and decreased quality of life. Physical therapy at McCabe and Brady Physical Therapy is essential to knee pain management.
What to expect at McCabe and Brady Physical Therapy sessions
Our highly experienced physical therapists will start by conducting a comprehensive evaluation. They will also conduct a movement screening to see whether or not your knee is functioning. This information is vital to help your therapist design a program for your specific needs.
All our targeted exercises are designed to help reduce pain, improve function, and prevent further injury. Often therapy at McCabe and Brady Physical Therapy will revolve around research-backed treatments like therapeutic exercises to help improve your mobility, strength, balance, and coordination.
We will also include neuromuscular reeducation and motor control-type exercises to help retrain your body’s ability to control and move more efficiently and coordinated. Our team will focus on addressing all the factors contributing to your situation to ensure your results.
Our team may need to incorporate manual therapy techniques for those with more severe pain and limitations. We will typically perform joint mobilization and targeted tissue work to improve joint mobility, increase blood flow and reduce tension and pain. At the same time, others may benefit from taping or bracing to support the knee and reduce pain.
Regardless of your knee pain source, our McCabe and Brady Physical Therapy.
physical therapists will provide highly effective treatments for your knee pain!
Request an appointment today!
With the right combination of treatments and the guidance of a physical therapist, people 50 years and older dealing with knee pain can experience significant reductions in pain, improved function, and a better quality of life!
Our McCabe and Brady Physical Therapy. physical therapists use a variety of evidence-based treatments to help you find relief! Call today to schedule a consultation and get on the road to recovery!