The hips and knees are two of the most complex joints of the human body. These two joints are compose of multiple muscles, tendons, and joints that work in unison to allow you to perform complex movements throughout the day. As a result, if there is damage in any component of these joints and you are experiencing resulting pain, your ability to perform normal activities of daily living may be hindered. Our physical therapists at Bedford Physical Therapy are highly trained in several techniques and specific treatment methods to help relieve hip and knee pain. Call Bedford Physical Therapy (603-782-3039) to find out how one of our therapists can help relieve the pain in your hips and knees while getting you back to the life and activities you enjoy without pain!
Most Common Hip and Knee Conditions
There are several specific conditions that tend to affect the hip and knee joints. Frequently these conditions tend to arise from excessive and repetitive motion, a traumatic injury, or a chronic disease.
Arthritis – Arthritis is a condition that describes the inflammation of surrounding tissue in and around a particular joint. Most times the onset of arthritis occurs due to progressive degeneration of the joint. Arthritis present in the hip or the knee can cause considerable pain, stiffness and swelling. While a physical therapist cannot fix the internal joint degeneration, one can help to slow the process by addressing altered mechanics and movement patterns to reduce the load through the joint.. By doing so we can reduce the rate and extent of continued degeneration of the joint.
Strains & Sprains – Strains occur when a muscle or tendon is stretched excessively or torn, often times due to a traumatic injury. A sprain, also frequently due to a traumatic injury, is the stretching or tear of a ligament. Ligaments are significant stabilizers of a joint, especially in knee joint (including the ACL, MCL, LCL, PCL). In severe injuries the ligaments may rupture completely, resulting in bruising, pain, instability and limited mobility due to swelling. Our physical therapists can help identify the compromised structures of the joint and help assess the extent of the injury. With this information the therapist can help you recover faster by guiding you through a proper exercise program and utilize other therapeutic interventions to help to reduce your pain and return you to your normal sports and activities.
Meniscus Tears – Meniscus tears are one of the most common causes of knee injuries, especially in active individuals. The meniscus is the cartilage lining in the knee joint that acts as a cushion to prevent your thigh bone from rubbing directly on the shin bone. A torn meniscus can cause significant stiffness, locking sensation, swelling, and varying degrees of pain. This particular injury can occur in traumatic and sudden injuries or can be the result of chronic and repetitive stress / motions of the knee joint. The risk for experiencing a meniscus tear increases in individuals who participate in sports or activities that cause aggressive pivoting and twisting of the legs (ex: basketball, football..) A physical therapist is an excellent resource for non-surgical treatment and interventions for a torn meniscus.
Bursitis – The bursa is a fluid filled sack that sits between muscle and bone to prevent the two from rubbing on each other. Bursitis occurs when this bursa becomes inflamed. The bursa can become inflamed for a variety of reasons but most commonly is caused by overuse or repetitive stress injuries. Bursitis can occur in many places throughout the body but is very common on the outside of the hip. Physical therapy is a very effective aid in the recovery and the reduction of pain caused by bursitis.
How Can Physical Therapy Help?
Regardless what hip or knee condition you have, Physical Therapy is a great resource when seeking pain relief. Upon your first visit your therapist will assess your injury and determine what the root cause of your pain is. From this information the therapist will develop an individualized program to meet your specific needs and goals. Not only will we help to reduce the pain but our course of treatment will focus on addressing the primary cause or precipitating factors contributing to the onset of your pain to correct the foundation of your movement to prevent future injury or re-occurrences.
What Exactly does a Therapy Program Include?
Manual Physical Therapy – Our therapists at Bedford Physical Therapy are very heavy with manual interventions. Manual therapy is the use of various hands-on techniques to reduce pain, improve motion, and reduce tightness in your hips and knees. This could include manual stretching, mobilizations, manipulations or a variety of massage techniques.
Heat & Ice Physical Therapy – Often times the use of heat or ice is implemented into the program to either improve mobility while reducing pain or to reduce swelling and inflammation.
Home Exercises – Our therapists will have you perform a number of exercises in the clinic and will teach you similar exercises to continue to do at home to help alleviate your hip and knee pain. Having a home exercise program is a huge adjunct to the success of physical therapy and for continued progress / pain relief upon completion of your physical therapy care.
Our physical therapists can help you reduce your pain and will develop a specific and customized program to treat you and your particular condition. Let us help you get back to the activities you enjoy, PAIN-FREE.
Contact Bedford Physical Therapy to schedule an evaluation with one of our experienced physical therapist today!