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8 PT Exercises To Relieve Hip and Knee Pain

8 PT Exercises To Relieve Hip and Knee Pain

Physical Therapy Can Help You To Move Comfortably Once Again with

Do your weight-bearing joints seem to be turning into pain-bearing ones lately? You may be unable to perform your job, play sports, handle household activities, or even find a comfortable resting or sleeping posture if your hip or knee can’t support your body weight without producing unpleasant aches and terrible sensations.

These restrictions and frustrations may lead to the use of potentially dangerous medicines or the consideration of joint replacement surgery.

Fortunately, physical therapy – the natural method of pain management – works well for many cases of hip and knee pain. Call Lake County Physical Therapy today to learn more about how physical therapy at our clinic can help you to feel better in no time at all!

Common causes of hip and knee pain

Over the course of a lifetime, your hips and knees do a lot of labor. Not only while you’re standing motionless, but also whether you walk, run, climb, or leap, these joints must resist the majority of your body weight. It’s no surprise, then, that the knee and hip joints can suffer from a range of diseases and injuries!

Your pain and stiffness may be caused by:

  • Strains, sprains, and ruptures – The knee and hip joints can move thanks to muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Repetitive motion or acute injuries can cause a strain (damage to muscles or tendons) or a sprain (hyperextension of a ligament). Athletes are vulnerable to ruptures of the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament).
  • Osteoarthritis – Osteoarthritis is a degeneration of the cartilage that normally keeps the bone ends in a joint from rubbing together. The resulting friction causes chronic pain and inflammation.
  • “Runner’s knee” – An unstable kneecap can lead to chronic knee pain. This condition is known as patellofemoral syndrome or “runner’s knee.”
  • Bursitis – Both the hips and knees have fluid-filled sacs called bursae that prevent friction between bones and soft tissues. Unfortunately, these sacs can become inflamed from overuse, a painful condition called bursitis.

Hip or knee discomfort can be aggravated by a variety of health or lifestyle issues. A good example is carrying additional weight. A hip or knee can be overworked due to musculoskeletal misalignment or postural imbalance. Muscle weakness can result from a lack of activity, setting the foundation for chronic tension and joint instability.

Physical therapy exercises to help ease your pain

Getting relief from knee or hip pain doesn’t necessarily involve the use of heavy drugs such as opiates or procedures such as joint replacement surgery. Physical therapy can improve your joint function while also easing your pain and stiffness.

Research shows that patients who rehab their hip or knee pain with physical therapy within 15 days of symptom onset have less need for pain injections, medications, or surgical intervention!

Our physical therapist can prescribe exercises aimed at addressing your specific condition, such as:

  • Hip flexion, extension, or abductor exercises
  • Mini-squats
  • Heel-to-buttock-exercises
  • Hip rotations
  • Step exercises
  • Hamstring curls
  • Leg lifts
  • Knee lifts

Even basic activities like walking can help maintain mobility and relieve discomfort in arthritic knees and hips. To help correct your musculoskeletal balance, our physical therapist may offer heat/ice therapy, ultrasound therapy, massage therapy, laser therapy, or orthotic footwear.

Should you choose therapy over medication?

Using over-the-counter medication can sometimes be unavoidable, but in many cases, it can be prevented. Several over-the-counter medications can cause dependence and addiction and overdose. If your doctor has prescribed you pain relievers it is best to follow the guidance of your doctor. However, you are welcome to discuss physical therapy with your doctor as well.

If you find that your pain level has decreased through physical therapy, you can discuss reducing your pain reliever usage with your primary physician. In many cases, we find that our patients are able to toss their prescription medications into the trash after a few weeks of seeing us!

Physical therapy can help you reduce your daily pains

You may get pain relief when you are at the physical therapist and going through treatment, but what about when you go home? A major goal of your physical therapist is to heal your injuries over the long term.

The various exercises and treatments they use with you will steadily improve your condition so that you experience less pain on a daily basis. As your body gets stronger and more mobile, you are likely to experience less pain in your hips and knees.

Overcome your pain today

The sooner you seek physical therapy for knee or hip pain, the better. Whatever stage of pain you’re in, it’s never too late to benefit from physical therapy. Contact Lake County Physical Therapy to get started on your recovery journey today.

Sources:
DR. Zubin

Written By

DR. Zubin

PT, DPT, FAAOMPT

Zubin has been a physical therapist for 31 years and is a founding member of this company. He specializes in Orthopedic Rehab and Chronic Pain management with a focus on Manual Therapy.

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