There are two main areas of the knee where knee bursitis can develop, the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). These two ligaments link the upper part of the thigh bone to the lower body. Bursitis of the ACL is also known as knee tendinitis and can cause severe pain in the knee and sometimes the hip joint as well. Now let’s discuss how does a physiotherapist help in knee bursitis problem?
How does physiotherapy helps in knee bursitis?
It can help to reduce the pain and inflammation associated with this condition, as well as improve the function of the knee joints. The problem of knee bursitis is usually more severe for younger people, because the knee joints are still very fragile and easily cause damage. This is why early diagnosis is critical. If a person has noticed that there is pain or instability when using their knee, then getting diagnosed and treated as soon as possible will help to avoid more serious damage to the knee joint.
The first part of a treatment plan will focus on the symptoms that you are experiencing. This can be broken down into acute and sub acute pain. Acute pain usually stems from an injury to the knee such as a ligament tear or a minor knock. Most athletes will get an ACL injury during their athletic career. Sub acute pain usually comes from everyday activities such as walking around, or bending and lifting.
After assessing what has caused the problem, the next step is to find out the treatment options that the physio feels would best suit your needs. Treatments can vary depending on the severity of your knee problem and the extent of any joint damage. If you have a mild form of knee bursitis, physiotherapy could be recommended as a means of alleviating your symptoms.
Your physiotherapist will examine your knee and perform some basic exercises that will target the affected area. These can include strengthening exercises, range of motion exercises, ice packs, gentle stretching and passive static warming up. Physiotherapy can also teach you how to protect yourself when playing sport.
Medication can also be prescribed if the condition of the knee bursitis is serious. These can help relieve the pain, but they also have side effects. Anti inflammatory medication can also slow down the healing process, although this can only be considered as a short term solution. The long term goal of treating knee bursitis is to strengthen the damaged muscles and joints, so that the knee remains stable and able to move with less friction.
In more extreme cases of knee bursitis, surgery may be required. A time-dependent option to repair the damaged tendons and ligaments is surgery.