Knee pain is a result of many conditions, including overuse of the knee joint, arthritis, bursitis or injuries to the ligament, meniscus or kneecap. Talk to your doctor about the pain you are experiencing in your knee and any other associated symptoms. Your doctor may choose to send you to a physical therapist, who will work with you to help heal the knee joint, as well as try to alleviate some of the pain you experience.
Stretching and Strength Training
To help reduce knee pain, your therapist may recommend several stretches and strength training methods. Leg extensions and raises help stretch and strengthen the area around the knee and help prevent future injuries to the joint. Often, this type of stretching and strengthening exercise is practiced once or twice every day. However, talk to your physical therapist about the frequency and type of exercise that is right for you.
Hot and Cold Therapy
Your physical therapist may apply hot or cold compresses to your knee to help reduce inflammation and swelling and to speed the healing process for the joint. Hot compresses speed circulation to the affected area, which could help the joint to heal faster. Heat therapy may be applied for 20 to 30 minutes at a time no more than four times a day. Cold compresses slow circulation to the area and provide relief from swelling and inflammation of the joint. Cold therapy may be applied for 15 to 25 minutes at a time with at least a 30-minute rest between applications several times a day. Your physical therapist may choose to use a combination of both hot and cold therapy for best results.
Low-Impact Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise will help you in several ways if you suffer from knee pain. This type of exercise can elevate your mood during recovery, and certain types of low-impact aerobic exercise will help to strengthen the muscles surrounding your knee to help prevent future injury. Your physical therapist may suggest exercising on a stationary bike or swimming as a form of low-impact aerobic exercise for 20 minutes a day, three to four days a week.
Injections in Addition to Therapy
Your physical therapist may suggest that you talk to your doctor about corticosteroid injections if your knee condition warrants this type of treatment. This type of steroid will help reduce swelling and inflammation in and around the joint and may help reduce the pain you are experiencing with your knee. Typically, a patient with chronic knee pain may receive corticosteroid injections every three to six months, depending on the patient's pain level, the cause of the pain and the effectiveness of the corticosteroid. Hyaluronic acid injections may also be an option for you to help lubricate the knee joint and reduce pain. This type of fluid is a natural fluid found in your joints to help keep the joint lubricated, but is often deficient in unhealthy joints. This alternative injection's benefits can last for six months to a year and is often utilized when corticosteroids are not effective.
