In recent years, do you find yourself saying “no” to certain activities because of your hip or knee pain? Know that if this is the case, you’re not alone! Hip and knee pain plagues an alarming number of individuals every year, but the good news is that there is help on the horizon through physical therapy.
Physical therapy may be a great option for you, whether your pain is experienced when you’re sitting or moving. We want to help you get back to your regular routine, so be sure to call our office for a consultation with a licensed physical therapist, and learn how we can help relieve your pain.
In the meantime, keep reading to learn more about the importance of handling hip and knee pain when it starts, and how a physical therapist can help eliminate and prevent pain from coming back in the future.
Why you should be concerned about hip and knee pain
Failing to address knee pain can cause big problems in your life and keep you from doing things you love doing. Your knee consists of several ligaments and muscles, and it’s a pretty complex body part. Needless to say, if it’s bothering you, it’s a good idea to get checked out before your pain becomes a bigger issue.
Your hip joint consists of the femoral head and the acetabulum. The femoral head is the round, “ball-shaped” piece of a bone, and the acetabulum is the socket the femoral head fits into. Ligaments connect the femoral head to the acetabulum. Just like the knees, hips are complex, and both types of pain can affect people at any age.
The hips and knees are the largest joints in your body. They work closely with each other for optimum mobility and to support your body’s weight. It almost goes without saying that they have a big job to do, and therefore need to always be at the top of their performance!
Common reasons for knee pain
Knee pain can affect your overall mobility as well as reduce your strength and affect muscle control.
Knee pain can be a direct side effect of any number of injuries or diseases. It can also come about as a result of a car accident, a bad fall, or a sports related injury. Some of the most commonly experienced types of knee pain include:
- Overuse (example: too much running on rough, hard ground)
- Osteoarthritis
- Anterior injuries
- Fractures around the knee
- Gout
- Ligament strains and sprains
Common reasons for hip pain
If there are problems with your hip joint, you might be experiencing discomfort and pain in your groin area or right inside your hip. If the pain is on the outside of your hip, it probably is due to issues with your tendons, muscles, and ligaments. It might even be hard for you to stand up if you experience hip pain.
Hip pain can also be a result of the following conditions:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Bursitis
- Osteoarthritis
- Sprains
- Hip fracture
- Sciatica
The good news: physical therapy can help with hip and knee pain
If any of the conditions or symptoms above apply to you, it’s a good idea for you to see a physical therapist before your condition worsens. Physical therapists are licensed movement experts who specialize in injury recovery and prevention. Your therapist can do an in-depth evaluation of your gait, palpate, range of motion measurements, and run a series of mobility tests to form a custom treatment plan for your hip or knee pain.
Maybe you have a friend who has been in physical therapy before, so you might be thinking your experience will be the same as theirs. This isn’t true! Not all treatment plans are created quite the same. Different issues might require other kinds of therapy, such as heat or ice therapy, exercises, and ultrasound therapy. Research shows that joint mobilization techniques can help with long and short-term ailments involving the hip. Even better — there is usually improvement with overall mobility as well!
Your therapist will keep you on track to alleviating your hip and knee pain through weekly visits. Eventually, as you begin to meet your targets and goals, you will have to come into the office occasionally for check-ups and to monitor your condition. It’s important to remember that physical therapy is 100% safe and natural; your therapist’s goal will always be to have you feeling better when you leave the office than when you arrived!
Call our clinic today to schedule an appointment with a skilled therapist
If you’re suffering from hip or knee pain, don’t expect it to go away on its own. Make sure you call us to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced physical therapists. They can help reduce or even eliminate your pain so that you can go back to living a pain-free lifestyle.
