One of the most common forms of pain currently being suffered over the span of 2020, right into 2021 is knee pain. Approximately 1 in 5 adults living in England currently suffer with some form of knee pain or an enduring knee condition. Knee pain is an increasingly common complaint among many adults and that is because so many factors can affect your knees and tigger pains and existing conditions.
The common causes of knee pain:
One of the most common types of knee pain which is experienced by the largest percentage of those who are suffering with knee pain is caused by general wear and tear. This wear and tear stems from daily activities like walking, bending, standing and lifting. These activities are done by almost every healthy mobile individual which suggests that without taking proper care of our knees, we will all at some point be subject to this type of knee pain.
Another huge category of people experiencing knee pain will be Athletes/sports people. Knee pain is commonly experienced among Athletes who run or play sports that involve jumping or quick pivoting. Many runners experience a knee pain which is now named runners knee where the patella moves out of alignment during running, which causes the cartilage beneath it to become irritated. Several sporting activities like this are said to aggravate the knee joints and ligaments resulting in knee problems and causing pain.
Lastly, the most increasingly common complaint of knee pain in the UK right now is of stiff knees. A large population of the UK is said to be experiencing stiff knees due to new sedentary lifestyles with little movement because of lock-downs. Stiff knees are caused by not exercising the knee enough, this is being felt by many of our population currently working from home and moving their legs a lot less. On top of this stiffness from new routines, weight also plays a huge part on the health of our knees. Excess weight puts a lot of stress on the knee joints. Secondly, weight gain causes inflammation and swelling of the joints, causing immobility and pain. Again, due to the amount of time spent in lock-downs during 2020 and 2021 many of us have managed to gain weight as a result of not being able to keep up with our usual routines. Therefore, we can gauge that as a nation the lock-downs have taken a huge toll on the health of our knees for many possible reasons.
Many of us went into lock-down relatively pain-free and have come out of it with new aches and pains so it is vital to act now to alleviate pain. At ALO Physio Clinic we are always trying to raise awareness that prevention is better than cute, so were urging those of you whos knees have been affected by lock-downs and lifestyle changes to act now before any pain becomes long-standing and chronic.
How a physiotherapist can help:
Assessment
We will ask you in detail about the symptoms and assess the biomechanics of how you move. We will test the function of the structures which may be affected by the pain eg. the ligaments, tendons, muscles, joints.
Diagnosis
We will then diagnose the cause of the knee pain, this may include identification of a number of factors which have contributed to the pain starting.
Treatment
We will then formulate a treatment plan and discuss this with you. Treatments will first be targeted at reducing pain and then rehabilitation to maximise functioning of the affected area. Treatments may include:
- Manual Therapy
- Rehabilitative exercise
- Acupuncture
- Electrotherapy
To book your Physiotherapy session, call us on: 0207 636 8845
