Knee osteoarthritis is a common condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It is characterized by the breakdown of cartilage in the knee joint, leading to pain, stiffness, and decreased mobility. While there is no cure for knee osteoarthritis, physical therapy can play a crucial role in managing symptoms and improving quality of life for individuals with this condition.
The MCL on the inside of the knee keeps it from bending too far in. “An ACL or MCL injury will give you more instability than pain in the long run,” says Dr. Tjong. Both of these injuries can happen as a result from years of playing sports, which causes the ligaments to stretch and eventually tear. Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. We used our existing classification method and screened articles in PubMed and bibliographic search for animal OA models between 2016 and 2023. Relevant and high-cited articles were chosen for inclusion in this narrative review.
How can physical therapy help?
Unfortunately, they observed no additional benefit of adding an intra-articular injection of corticosteroids before exercise in painful OA patients. Another group (Riis et al., 2017) also reported that there were no statistically significant differences between intra-articular corticosteroid and placebo injections given before exercise therapy in regard to the reduction of synovitis in knee OA. Recently, a cohort analysis (Mantovani Cardoso et al., 2021) reported that patients who underwent corticosteroid injection before physical therapy were more likely to attend more sessions and have a longer adherence. Thus, a combination of pharmacologic and physical therapy modalities is still a promising treatment strategy, but further research is needed to establish optimal and potentially synergistic combinations of pharmacologic and physical therapy.
The severity of your osteoarthritis, the type of treatment you have, as well as your age and general health, determines your recovery time. With surgeries, you may be able to resume most activities, including work, within 6 weeks. However, it may take around 6 months until you are 100% recovered. There is no denying that OA patients should receive physical therapy as early as possible to achieve the best curative effects. Although OA symptoms can be improved by physical therapy, excessive exercise sometimes may lead to excessive mechanical stress on the joint and even promote OA progression. For example, Nils et al. (Bomer et al., 2016) reported that mice subjected to a forced running regime had significantly increased cartilage damage.
Physical therapy for knee osteoarthritis focuses on strengthening the muscles surrounding the knee joint, improving flexibility, and reducing pain and inflammation. A skilled physical therapist will create a customized treatment plan based on the individual’s specific needs and goals. Common techniques used in physical therapy for knee osteoarthritis include:
A wide range of exercises are available for osteoarthritis. The exact exercises for someone with osteoarthritis and intensity level will vary. The best exercise selection may depend on a person’s age, coexisting medical conditions, and balance ability.
The many contributing causes of OA are still being investigated, and animals are used for preclinical research and to test potential new treatments. A single consensus OA animal model for preclinical studies is non-existent. In this article, we review the many animal models for OA and provide a much-needed update on studies and model development since 2016. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a global musculoskeletal disorder that affects primarily the knee and hip joints without any FDA-approved disease-modifying therapies. Animal models are essential research tools in developing therapies for OA; many animal studies have provided data for the initiation of human clinical trials.
Compare all the physiotherapists and contact the physical therapy clinic in Bangkok that’s right for you. The aim is to provide a snapshot of some of themost exciting work published in the various research areas of the journal. Depending on the outcome measures and objective of the study, researchers should pick the best model for their work. There have been several exciting studies since 2016 that have taken advantage of regenerative engineering techniques to develop therapies and better understand OA. Join APTA to get unlimited access to content including evidence-based research, guidance on payment changes, and other resources to help you thrive.
- Exercises to strengthen the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles
- Manual therapy to improve joint mobility
- Modalities such as ice and heat therapy to reduce pain and inflammation
- Education on proper body mechanics to prevent further damage to the knee joint
Your doctor may give you a single-dose injection into your knee joint, or you may need a series of injections. Depending on what is causing your inside knee pain (more on that below), Allie Paul, PT, DPT, a physical therapist for the Hospital of Special Surgery in New York City, says you’ll notice symptoms in one of three places. That includes the medial inside of the knee, or the part closest to your opposite leg, the meniscus, or the cartilage inside your knee or the medial collateral ligament (MCL), the ligament that holds the shin bone in place. Dr. Paul says the MCL works as a band-aid over the joint line. The most common cause of knee osteoarthritis is the prolonged use of our knees, over the lifespan substantial wear and tear affects the joint. In severe cases, this can cause debilitating pain, especially when standing up or walking.
FAQs about Physical Therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis
Q: How often should I attend physical therapy sessions?
A: The frequency of physical therapy sessions will vary depending on the severity of your symptoms and your individual treatment plan. In general, most individuals with knee osteoarthritis benefit from attending physical therapy sessions 1-3 times per week.
Q: Will physical therapy eliminate the need for surgery?
A: In some cases, physical therapy may help individuals with knee osteoarthritis avoid or delay the need for surgery. By improving muscle strength, joint mobility, and overall function, physical therapy can reduce pain and improve mobility, allowing individuals to maintain an active lifestyle.
