How do I stop the pain in my Arthritic Knee?

Did you know that over 2 million Australians suffer from Arthritis?

Unfortunately, painful osteoarthritis in the knee is an extremely common condition in Colac.

Our Physiotherapists at the Corio Bay Sports Treatment Clinic Colac are here to help!

We see this condition daily and can provide a lot of relief.

What is Osteoarthritis of the knee?

The joint surfaces of our knee are covered in a smooth tissue called cartilage. In the picture the first knee has a smooth shiny surface depicted in blue. The second knee has a red hole that depicts early arthritis.  The third knee has multiple areas of cartilage loss and depicts moderate arthritis.

The fourth knee has large areas of full thickness cartilage loss and also lots of spurring of the bone – this is what is often termed as BONE ON BONE!

In knee osteoarthritis this tissue starts to develop cracks or holes in it and it slowly wears away. The bone underneath then becomes exposed and when it gets irritated it causes swelling and inflammation in the joint.

Knee osteoarthritis affects the hinge joint where our thigh bone (femur) and shin bone (tibia) meet to form our knee. This seemingly simple joint needs to be able to stand the extreme force that our bodyweight, twisting, bending and turning put through it daily.

What are the symptoms of Knee Osteoarthritis?

• Pain
• Swelling
• Stiffness
• Creaking and grinding
• Feelings of “giving way”

Should I see a Physiotherapist for Knee Osteoarthritis?

Definitely!

There is extremely strong evidence that having a Physiotherapist involved in the management of your knee is one of the best things you can do to manage your pain, put off or even prevent the need for joint replacement surgery.

Our Physiotherapists in Colac will:

• Manage your Osteoarthritis pain and symptoms with a plan that may include:
• Massage or mobilisation techniques to regain movement
• Heat and Cold packs
• Fisiocrem
• Compression
• Taping or Bracing

How do I strengthen my Arthritic Knee?

The most important part of managing Osteoarthritis is to strengthen the muscles around the knee.

Our muscles are like shock absorbers for our knee – especially our thigh, calf and buttock muscles.  Our other shock absorber in our knee is our cartilage but that is what is damaged by the Osteoarthritis.

Therefore our Muscle Strength is THE KEY to reducing symptoms and keeping mobile and active.

Exercises don’t have to be painful and can actually help to reduce pain.

The most important thing is that exercises are low impact and this is where using strategies like Hydrotherapy, Exercise bike or Cycling and low or non-weight bearing exercises are most important.

Our Colac Physiotherapists are experts in exercise prescription and will tailor an exercise program for you that won’t flare up your pain and will have you feeling confident in your knee again.

To get active and feeling great again book an appointment today with our online booking 

Below is the Bluewater Leisure Centre Hydrotherapy Pool where we do hydrotherapy classes twice a week.