Patella tendon pain can be felt on the front of the knee usually just below the knee cap. The tendon can become irritable and reactive which can affect activities in everyday life. Pain can be aggravated by loading the knee such as going up and down stairs, running or squatting. Physiotherapy can help with providing a diagnosis, treatment, management plan and rehabilitation program.
The meniscus is a type of cartilage in the knee which is made up of two parts, the medial and lateral meniscus. The medial and lateral menisci play an important role in absorbing force and assisting in the role of stabilising the knee joint. An injury can cause altered biomechanics of the knee joint and pain. There are two main causes to a meniscus injury, the first one is traumatic and the second one is degenerative. Meniscal tears are either due to an excessive force applied to a ‘normal’ meniscus or a normal force acting on a degenerative meniscus. The most common mechanism of injury is a twisting injury on a semi-flexed limb through a weight bearing knee. It may also be associated with other ligamentus injuries, typically the anterior cruciate ligament and the medial collateral ligament. Symptoms of a meniscus tear include, a popping sensation, swelling or stiffness, difficulty straightening your knee full and the feeling as if your knee locks into place when you try to move it. Physiotherapy can help by providing diagnosis, treatment, management plan and a progressive exercise program to help relieve and strengthen the knee. In some circumstances we may refer you to a specialist for an orthopaedic opinion.
Ligaments are strong bands of tissue which connect bone to one another. The knee joint has four main ligaments the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), medial collateral ligament (MCL) and the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) which connect the thigh bone to the shin bone. Ligament damage can take place during contact or non contact incidents when a foot is planted to the ground, followed by a twisting or landing movement or a tackle from another player. Symptoms include sudden and severe pain, a loud pop or snap sound, swelling, a loose feeling knee and the inability to put weight on it without pain. Physiotherapy can help with the diagnosis, treatment and management of a ligament injury. A majority of ligament injuries can be managed without surgery with a gradual and progressive physiotherapy program. However, for ligament injuries which are managed with surgery, physiotherapy is vital in the rehabilitation process post operation to allow you to return to everyday task, work and the activities you enjoy. In some circumstances we may refer you to a specialist for an orthopaedic opinion.
Degenerative changes in the knee joint can be incredibly painful and impact your daily life, including effecting your sleep and work. Osteoarthritis of the knee joint is a degenerative type of arthritis that occurs most often in people 50 years of age and older. There are however instances where it may occur in younger people, for instance after trauma or professional sporting careers. Essentially the cartilage in the knee joint gradually wears away over a period of time. As it decreases in quality it can become rough or frayed, and the joint space between the joint decreases. This loss of joint space can result in the bone rubbing on bone. As a consequence of this the damaged bone may start to grow outward and form bone spurs, also known as osteophytes. Physiotherapy can help by providing a diagnosis, treatment, management plan and a progressive rehabilitation program helping to reduce pain, and restore function. In some circumstances we may refer you to a specialist for an orthopaedic opinion.
A quadriceps muscle strain or tear is usually due to an acute stretch of the muscle, often at the same time of a forceful contraction or repetitive functional overloading. The quadriceps, is made up of four muscles rectus femoris, vastus muscles; intermedius, lateralis and medialis. These muscles can be overloaded by repeated muscle contractions of the knee extensor mechanism. Acute strain injuries of the quadriceps commonly occur in athletic competitions such as soccer, rugby, and weightlifting. These sports regularly require sudden forceful contractions of the quadriceps during knee ο¬exion and hip extension. Higher forces across the muscle tendon units with contraction can lead to strain injury. Excessive passive stretching or activation of a maximally stretched muscle can also cause strains. Rectus femoris which is the biggest quadriceps muscle and is most frequently strained. There are several factors which can increase the chance of injury but it is likely due to the fact that it crosses both the hip and the knee joint. Muscle fatigue has also been shown to play a role in acute muscle injury. Physiotherapy can help by providing a diagnosis, treatment, management plan and a progress rehabilitation program to help you return to the activities you enjoy.
Hamstring strains are caused by a rapid extensive contraction or a violent stretch of the hamstring muscle group which causes a high stress and loading to the muscle. This can result in varying degrees of rupture or strain in the muscle fibres. Hamstring strains are common in sports with a dynamic character like sprinting, jumping and contact sports such as football and rugby where quick contractions are regular. Hamstring injuries can also occur in recreational activities where the knee is forcefully fully extended during injury. The hamstring is made up of three main muscles the bicep femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus. Symptoms can include sudden pain which can be minimal or severe, bruising, tenderness to touch, loss of range of motion and also a popping or tearing sensation can be felt. Physiotherapy can help by providing a diagnosis of the severity of the hamstring strain or tear, provide treatment, management plan and a progressive rehabilitation program to help you return to the activities you enjoy.
