Living Well with Knee Osteoarthritis: Lifestyle Tips and Physiotherapy Strategies
Have you recently learned that your persistent knee pain isn’t actually an injury–but knee osteoarthritis? You may be feeling overwhelmed, especially since osteoarthritis has no cure. But that doesn’t mean you have to choose between surgery and suffering: physiotherapy for knee osteoarthritis is one of your best bets for managing your condition.
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis in Canada. It occurs when the cartilage and bone tissue in an affected joint breaks down, leading to pain and mobility issues. While it can affect any joint in the body, it’s most common in the hips, spine, hands, and, of course, knees.
Around 4 million Canadians have osteoarthritis, so if you’ve developed the condition, you’re not alone. While severe cases may require total knee replacement surgery, many people successfully manage their osteoarthritis symptoms through physiotherapy and exercise.
In fact, the physiotherapists at PhysioChiroWellness have extensive experience helping people in the Newmarket area manage the pain and immobility associated with knee osteoarthritis–and we’d love the opportunity to help you, too!
Keep reading to learn why physiotherapy for knee osteoarthritis is a great choice. You can also schedule an initial consultation at our clinic!
The Many Symptoms of Knee Osteoarthritis
Everyone has a different experience with knee osteoarthritis, as the condition has several symptoms, with pain and immobility being the most significant. Here are some things to watch out for:
- Short-lasting stiffness in the morning
- Pain or stiffness after prolonged sitting with the knee bent or straight
- Sounds when you move your knee, including grinding, popping, or cracking
- Pain during or after movement, such as walking, getting out of a chair, or going down stairs
- Tenderness along the knee joint
- Swelling after movement or activity
- Weakness in the knee joint, including a sense of the knee “giving out”
Knee osteoarthritis symptoms usually develop gradually over time. If you’ve noticed your knee pain has been gradually worsening over several months and doesn’t improve even with rest, schedule an appointment. We can help you know for sure.
Why Physiotherapy is a Great Choice for Knee Osteoarthritis
Many people are surprised to learn that exercise is one of the most effective ways to manage the pain and immobility caused by osteoarthritis. After all, movement can often worsen symptoms!
But exercise also strengthens your muscles, and strong muscles support and stabilize the knee joint, thus reducing the impact movement has on your knee. It also has a wealth of other health benefits–and if your osteoarthritis is keeping you off your feet, you may be missing out on them.
Our physiotherapists can help you start with an exercise program designed around your interests, goals, and ability level. We’ll help you find movements that you can perform comfortably, even if your pain is intense. As you get stronger, you’ll be able to do more.
When exercising with knee osteoarthritis, it’s also important not to go too high-impact. Movements like jumping and running could be potentially damaging if you do them too often. We’ll help you develop an exercise program that gets your blood pumping without risking injury.
For those with particularly intense pain, physiotherapy offers several pain management options beyond exercise. Manual therapy is a set of hands-on techniques that can, among other things, mobilize your knee joint, providing pain relief and improving range of motion. Bracing may be an option to help control pain and swelling. We’ll work with you to find the solutions that meet your needs.
Physiotherapy and Knee Osteoarthritis: What To Expect
When you come in for your first appointment, we’ll carefully review your medical history, symptoms, and overall goals to create a customized treatment plan. Osteoarthritis generally causes two main problems–pain and restricted range of motion. Our physiotherapists will help you address both.
We can show you specific mobility exercises to help you improve your knee’s range of motion, which will help you move about more easily. We’ll start with a comprehensive movement screen to measure just how restricted your mobility is.
Next, we’ll build a personalized mobility program and guide you through it, ensuring you perform the exercises correctly. We’ll also monitor your progress, increasing the difficulty as you show signs of improvement.
For pain management, strength training is crucial. We’ll assess your current strength levels and then develop a program to address areas of impairment. Firstly, we’ll work to strengthen your leg muscles, as those significantly minimize cartilage and bone damage in your knee.
However, we’ll also help you strengthen muscles elsewhere in your body. Your hip and knees are closely connected, so strong hip muscles help support your knee joint, too!
A strong core is also essential. Your core is a set of muscles that wrap your torso and play a big role in helping you move your body. They support the spine, help with balance and stability, and relieve pressure from your knees during repetitive movements like walking or running.
We’ll help you find a strength training program that works for you. For some people, we might suggest aquatic therapy, which relieves joint pressure while exercising. For others, we might recommend a walking regimen. And as you start to get stronger and have reduced pain levels, we may even begin with dedicated resistance training.
Take a Proactive Approach in Knee Osteoarthritis Management!
While you can’t cure osteoarthritis, you can successfully control it with regular exercise and physiotherapy at PhysioChiroWellness. Our compassionate team will show you how to incorporate more movement into your lifestyle so you can find the comfort and mobility you deserve.
Ready to get started? Request an appointment with us today!