Physiotherapy for knee injuries

Knee injuries are relatively common and seen on a regular basis by physiotherapists. The knee consists of joints, meniscus/ cartilage, ligaments and muscles. These structures can be affected through general wear & tear/ degeneration, biomechanical abnormalities, overuse, trauma & sports injuries. People of all ages and all walks of life could sustain a knee injury, not just sports people. Children going through growth spurts could also develop knee pain, especially around the patella/ knee cap. This occurs where there is stretching/ growing of the tendons which attach onto the knee cap.

Physios will initially try assess what the main cause of knee pain is. The right plan of action is crucial to effectively treat acute knee pain, with measures in place to prevent or limit further incidences. Assessing the hip and ankle is also very important. The knee joint never works in isolation so looking at how the joints above and below the knee are functioning should be part of the assessment process.

Read below to understand a bit of the anatomy as well as the mechanism of injury of the more common knee injuries.

Knee injuries