You’re just entering your 30’s and you’ve knelt on the floor. Then you begin to notice this dull pain on the side of your kneecaps. The pain subsides as you go about your daily activities only to then notice it again after you have been standing for a long period of time. And then, once again, more pain emanating from your knees after a long car drive. What is this pain? Why is this happening? And what does this mean for the future of your knees? Not to worry, there are measures that can be put into place to help heal and ensure the long, healthy, and happy life of your knees. Physical therapists strive to target the weak muscles in your knees and help them to heal, grow and get stronger to avoid injury and damage. This helps to strengthen knee muscles and joints that may be at risk for possible muscle and joint damage – which could cause an outcome of needing to have knee replacement surgery.
Avoiding Joint Replacement Surgery
Joint replacement surgery has definitely grown in its popularity over the years, but many physical therapists suggest that we need to look into nonsurgical options before considering surgery, if possible. To reduce the risk to your health and to your knees, and to potentially avoid a knee replacement all together, check out physical therapy Rexburg – it might be the right fit for you! As an amazing preventative care option, physical therapy can aid in muscle strengthening and increasing the flexibility around the joints. These physical therapy practices, over a period time dedicated to strengthening and aiding your muscles, can help provide the necessary preventative measures to avoid having your knees be replaced in a joint replacement surgery. By working with a physical therapist who can assist with the strengthening of the knee muscles and movements, you can potentially delay the need for surgery – or even eliminate the need for surgery altogether.
After All That…Still Need Surgery?
At a point in your knee journey that surgery is still recommended, physical therapy still plays a significant part in the knee surgery and recovery itself. It’s true! Even if you’re not able to avoid knee replacement surgery altogether, there are ways that physical therapy can aid in the preparation of your surgery and the recovery of your knee replacement surgery. By participating in physical therapy before a knee replacement surgery, building strength and mobility around your knees can actually aid in the healing process post surgery! It can also help speed up the recovery time and there is the potential that you won’t have as much pain in the healing process as well. Physical therapy can help your muscles heal correctly and safely and aid in overall more pleasant experience if surgery does become needed.
Conclusion
Whether you are trying to sustain the knees you have, gain the strength back into your knees to avoid surgery, or you are trying to prepare for a knee replacement surgery – physical therapy is a must for your knee journey. Pick PT can help you along that journey no matter what stage your knees are in. Before jumping into a joint replacement surgery, consider the long-term benefits and preventative care that can come from physical therapy and the quality of life that can be gained through lifelong strengthening and enhancements of these important muscles and joints.