Knee Injuries

 

At one point in time, you’ve probably have experienced minor knee pain. Our normal body movements do not cause these problems, but it is with everyday wear and tear, overuse, or injury that does. If you are experiencing pain and are unsure of how serious your injury may be Island Sports Physical Therapy in East Northport, Huntington, Nesconset, East Meadow, Glen Cove, and Coram can evaluate you. Our physical therapists will create a personalized treatment plan to help reduce pain and inflammation as well as show you proper motioning so that you reduce your chances of future flare-ups.

Common Causes Of Knee Injuries  

• Playing sports
• Participating in recreational activities
• Work-related tasks
• Completing projects at home
• Aging
• A disease like osteoporosis or arthritis

The knee is the largest joint in the body. The bones inside of the knee joint are covered by cartilage, which absorbs shock and provides a smooth-gliding surface for joint movement. When cartilage is damaged, shock cannot be absorbed creating pain.

The most common types of knee injuries our physical therapist in East Northport sees are:

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries

• The ACL runs diagonally down the front of the knee which provides stability.
• ACL injuries are graded on a scale from one to three.
  • A grade 1 sprain is a mild injury to the ACL, while a grade 3 is a complete tear.

• Athletes who play contact sports like football or soccer often suffer ACL injuries, but landing the wrong way from a jump or quickly changing the direction of motion in everyday life can also lead to an ACL tear.
• Injuries to the ACL can be serious and may even require surgery.

Fractures

• Any of the bones in or around the knee can be fractured, but the most common broken bone in the joint is the patella or kneecap.
• High impact trauma, such as a fall or car accident causes most knee fractures.
• People diagnosed with osteoporosis may fracture their knees just by stepping the wrong way.

Patellar Tendonitis

• Is an injury to the tendon that connects the kneecap to the shinbone.
• The patellar tendon works to extend the knee with the front of the thigh so a person can run, jump, and perform other physical activities.
• Often referred to as jumper’s knee, tendonitis is common among athletes who frequently jump, but any physically active person has the risk of developing tendonitis.

Island Sports Physical Therapy in East Northport can help relieve your pain significantly. We will teach you the proper methods of exercising to help maintain normal joint movement, to relieve stiffness, and increase muscle strength. Treatment will include:

• Strength training and functional exercises, which are designed to increase strength, endurance, and function of your leg muscles- by doing this it will build more support for the knee, and reduce stress to the knee joint.
• One of our physical therapists may even perform electrical stimulation of the knee.
  • This increases leg muscle strength and can help reduce knee pain.
    • The electrodes generated in the machine stimulate the primary muscle that supports the knee while gently stimulate the nerves around the knee.
• Our physical therapists recommend that athletes are both warming up properly before beginning physical activity in order to prevent these injuries.

If you are living with knee pain, contact Island Sports Physical Therapy in East Northport, Huntington, Nesconset, East Meadow, Glen Cove, and Coram today!