Knee complaints

The knee is a joint that is unknowingly put under a lot of strain during our daily activities such as walking, climbing stairs and kneeling. But many sports activities also put strain on the knee joint, such as squats, lunges and all other exercises that put strain on your legs. That is why it can be extremely annoying if there is a (pain) complaint that prevents you from fully using the knee. A limitation often has greater consequences in the long term and can cause adjustments that cause other joints and muscles to work harder and can become overloaded. Think of an abnormal walking pattern because stretching the knee has become too painful.

For convenience, we distinguish between acute and chronic complaints, with the most common complaints being described. It also explains what we can do within our paramedical service. Is your complaint not listed? Then contact one of our physiotherapists, click here to get in touch.

Acute knee complaints

In (sports-related) injuries, we mainly see a lot of fluid retention, movement restrictions when bending and stretching the joint and pain when loading in the acute phase. The most common structures that are affected are the so-called meniscus that serve as a shock absorber, the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, the bursae and the ligaments. If the knee is twisted and painful, this does not necessarily mean that the meniscus is damaged, for example. In more than 90% of cases, there is a sprain of the knee.

In the case of severe trauma, we see that the joint capsule is also damaged. In this phase, rest, pain relief and, on the advice of the GP or specialist, pain medication or anti-inflammatory drugs are recommended. In an acute case, advice will be given regarding loading and walking training with elbow crutches so that the knee can rest optimally. But taping the knee are also interventions that can be applied in this phase.
After the intake with our physiotherapist, a referral will be made if necessary. This can be to your GP or give advice with a report for the specialist, such as an orthopedist.

Once the additional diagnostic examination has been completed, a targeted treatment plan will be set up in consultation with your therapist to work on recovery. Exercise therapy, “hands on” techniques such as stretching muscles and shockwave are a number of methods that can be applied here. Visit ShockwaveVeldhoven.nl for more information about this.

Below are the most common knee complaints.
If you recognize yourself in one of these complaint patterns, you can make a no-obligation appointment with one of our physiotherapists. After determining the severity of an injury, an appropriate treatment plan can be drawn up for the rehabilitation period, both in the case after an operation and in the case of a conservative policy, i.e. without intervention.

Meniscus

In the knee there are two orange slice shaped pieces of cartilage; the menisci. There is one on the outside and one on the inside of the knee. They give the joint stability and ensure that the knee joint moves smoothly.

Anterior cruciate ligament

A cruciate ligament injury often occurs after a traumatic event and pain is felt immediately. In addition, the knee swells immediately and cannot be fully loaded. A side effect is that people become insecure when using the knee and when playing sports. The knee is unstable due to the absence of the anterior cruciate ligament, which can cause wear and tear complaints. This can be largely remedied by targeted exercise therapy. In the case of a reconstruction, targeted exercise therapy and guidance will also be necessary to allow the knee to function optimally again.

Collateral ties

Because the knee is a hinge joint between the femur and the lower leg, strong ligaments are needed to provide the joint with stability. There is an inner (medial) and an outer (lateral) collateral ligament that stabilizes the knee against lateral forces.

A lateral force to the outside can cause an outer ligament injury and a lateral force to the inside can cause an inner ligament injury. Depending on the severity and whether the ligaments are torn. A tear in one of the ligaments will be very painful and sharp at that moment. If the ligament tears completely, the pain will quickly decrease because the capsule is no longer stretched. In both cases, the knee will swell but can often still be loaded. Medical imaging will be necessary to determine to what extent the ligaments are stretched and/or torn.

Kneecap complaints

The kneecap can cause various knee complaints for various reasons. Walking up and down stairs can be painful or cause irritation, but squatting or certain exercises in which the knee bends or stretches and is subjected to heavier loads can also be limited by this. It is important that these complaints are resolved in time to prevent wear and tear of the kneecap.

Quadriceps tendon disorder

The quadriceps tendon runs from the upper leg to the knee joint and provides for the extension of the joint. In addition, it slows down the bending when walking down stairs or squatting, for example. This tendon is subjected to a lot of pulling force when jumping, for example, which is why it is often referred to as a “jumper’s knee” if this tendon is affected. In the acute phase, the attachment of the tendon will be very sensitive and painful when pressure is applied. For example, sitting on your knees will not be possible. With this complaint, it is important to look at the feet. A hollow or flat foot will have consequences for the development or maintenance of the complaints. If necessary, your physiotherapist will refer you to a podiatrist.

Chronic complaints

Osteoarthritis

Age-related complaints such as osteoarthritis can cause pain in the knee joint. This wear and tear of the joint and capsule are normal processes and do not cause the same (pain) complaints in everyone. Various factors can play a role in this. A change in the functioning of the hip can also have a negative effect on the knee, for example, especially if there is already wear and tear. It is therefore important in the case of wear and tear complaints not only to focus the intervention on the knee, but also to look at the entire chain of movement including the lower back, the hip joint, the feet and ankles.

Postural deviations

Our podiatrist will be called in if there is an indication from the physical examination performed by the physiotherapist. The podiatrist will then further investigate whether there is a deviation from the position of the feet and/or the ankle joint. Such a deviation can have negative consequences for the load on the knee joint. A targeted sole treatment can significantly reduce the complaints. Targeted walking training during the exercise therapy with your physiotherapist will be discussed afterwards. Click on Podiatry to read what the podiatrist can do for you and for which complaints you can contact him.

Pre- and post-operative exercise therapy

You can contact us for both pre- and post-operative exercise therapy, our physiotherapists will guide you through the entire process before and after the operation.

Preoperative

If there is such wear and tear that the joint needs to be (partially) replaced, it is important to discuss the treatment options with your physiotherapist. Research has shown that training the leg muscles before the operation ensures that recovery is smoother and better. Exercising with elbow crutches is part of this exercise therapy, so that you can walk safely in and around the house.

Postoperative

A week after the operation, it is advisable to start physiotherapy. Monitoring the movement of the knee joint is important in this phase. In addition, walking will be examined and appropriate exercise therapy will be started to improve the strength of the leg muscles. The exercise therapy takes place in phases with a gradual build-up taking into account tissue repair and wound healing.

Don’t walk around with your complaint and make an appointment in Veldhoven or Waalre!