Four reasons to see a physical therapist for knee pain

When you’ve hurt your knee, it’s difficult to do many of the activities you love. You might not even be able to walk or stand. In these kinds of situations, you may need to see a physical therapist for treatment.

Physical therapists specialize in nonsurgical treatments for the bones, soft tissue, muscles and cartilage in your body. Since your knee is a complex weave of all of these, it’s a good idea to trust its care with a physical therapist.

Here are four reasons you may want to see a physical therapist if you have knee pain:

1. Physical therapy can reduce your pain

One of the main goals of physical therapy is to reduce pain. There are many ways physical therapists can do this. Primarily, they aim to improve your strength and flexibility to provide better support for the knee and leg. They may also use electrical stimulation and provide home exercises.

2. Physical therapy improves your range of motion

One way knee pain affects many people is by limiting their range of motion. Stretches and exercises help treat this area too, but many physical therapists also use manual therapy.

Manual therapy includes a variety of techniques to mobilize the knee, including joint mobilization, soft tissue mobilization and strain-counterstrain. Deep tissue massage can also help reduce tension and improve range of motion.

3. Physical therapy reduces the need for drugs and surgery

Physical therapy treatments do not use any medications or surgery. While it’s often recommended as part of a more complete treatment that uses either or both of these, many people can benefit from physical therapy on its own. This can help keep you off of the operating table and reduce the need for treating pain with medications that cause side effects.

4. Physical therapy can be for anyone

Physical therapists develop personalized treatments for their patients. Whether you are old, young, an athlete or an office worker, you can benefit from physical therapy treatment if your knees have been hurt.

Visit Whatcom Physical Therapy for knee pain treatment

Do you have long-lasting knee pain or a sudden knee injury? Our team at Whatcom Physical therapy can help reduce your pain and improve your ability to use your knee. Contact our team today to learn more about physical therapy for knee pain or to schedule an initial appointment.