Knee Pain

Whether you play sport socially or professionally, knee injuries can put you out of action.

Physiotherapists provide expert advice and treatment to speed up recovery and get you active again following knee injury or surgery.

Types of knee injuries

Many injuries may be successfully treated without surgery by physiotherapy treatment and supervised rehabilitation. If damage is severe, surgery may be required. Leading Edge physiotherapists work closely with medical practitioners, sports physicians and orthopaedic surgeons to assist recovery and rehabilitation.

Physiotherapy treatment is essential to reduce the pain and disability associated with overuse knee injuries. In addition, Leading Edge physiotherapists for knee injuries are well trained to address potential aggravating factors that may have contributed to the development of the overuse injury.

Can knee injuries be prevented

You can reduce the chance and severity of knee injuries by:

  • Warming up and warming down before and after exercise.

  • Building up your exercise program by gradually increasing the frequency, duration and intensity, but don’t work through pain.

  • Maintain good general fitness and lower body strength and flexibility (especially calf, quadriceps and hamstring).

  • Practise standing on one leg to improve your balance and leg muscle strength.

  • Snow Skiers – get a qualified ski technician to check your binding settings (bindings must be set to weight and skill level).

What to do after a sprain

As soon as possible, and for 72 hours after injury, use the RICE method:

  • Rest – Take it easy and only move within your limit of pain.

  • Ice – As soon as possible, and for 20 minutes every two hours, apply ice or a frozen gel pack wrapped in a damp towel. This helps to control bleeding and pain and reduces secondary tissue damage.

  • Compression – Firmly bandage the injury. This helps to control swelling.

  • Elevation – As much as possible, elevate your injury higher than the level of your heart to reduce swelling.

How can physiotherapy help

Your Leading Edge physiotherapist will examine your knee to determine the type, extent and cause of your knee injury, and can refer you on to a sports physician or GP for scans or medication if needed.

Early treatment will reduce any pain or swelling. This treatment could include:

  • Massage and Mobilisation techniques to improve the movement of your knee joint

  • Exercises to improve the strength of the knee and other lower limb muscles that may be contributing to your problem

  • Taping to improve the stability of the knee joint or improve the function of the muscles that support the knee

  • Dry Needling to reduce pain and muscle tightness around the knee joint

Your next step is to have your knee pain assessed by a Leading Edge Physiotherapist. Contact us or book online today.