Physiotherapy

Osteoarthritis is a progressive disorder of joints due to gradual wear and tear of the cartilage. Cartilage is a natural cushioning covering the ends of the bones. It is tough but flexible and protects the bone at the joint. As a result of this wear and tear, bony spurs and cysts can develop at the knee joint causing normal functions of the knee to be affected.

Causes

• Osteoarthritis is degenerative in nature and occurs along with degeneration of other body tissues, which is all part of the ageing process.
• An estimated 90% of people over the age of sixty years develop varying degrees of osteoarthritis.
• While the exact causes of Knee OA vary, risk factors for developing this condition include the following:
  • Inherited abnormalities in the shape of bones that surround the knee joint.
  • Increase in age
  • Female
  • Excess body mass
  • Previous joint or sports injury to the knee
  • Occupations that involve excess load of the knees
  • Metabolic disorder (e.g. Gout, Rheumatoid arthritis)

Common signs and symptoms

• Recurring pain in knee
• Knee stiffness especially in the morning or after a period of rest.
• Knee swelling and warmth
• Decreased mobility and functional ability of the knee making it difficult to perform daily activities like stairs climbing, getting in and out of car and getting up from a chair.
• Grinding noises in knee
• Deformities in the form of bow legs and knocked knees
• X-ray showing reduced joint space and degeneration

How physiotherapy can help

• Research has shown the benefits of physiotherapy in managing mild to moderate knee OA. Manual therapy can improve the mobility in the knee joint.
• Depending on the severity of the condition, a physiotherapist can improve the flexibility of the muscles around the knee. This will in turn reduce the load on the joint and allow better functional performance in daily activities.
• After a thorough gait analysis, a personalized strengthening programme for the hips and lower limbs muscles can be prescribed to improve walking efficiency.
• If there are lower limb alignment issues causing abnormal loading of the knee joint, our in-house podiatrist can customise insoles to reduce the symptoms.

Let our physiotherapists help you with your condition.