Living With Achy Hips and Knees? Kick Your Pain to the Curb with Physiotherapy

Find the Relief You Need with the Help of a Physiotherapist!

Are your hips and knees in pain when you wake up? Are you in pain when you go to bed? Are the activities you do between sunrise and sunset impacted by chronic hip and knee joint dysfunction?

You don’t have to give up hope of living with less pain—or become reliant on the medicine cabinet, either.

At our physiotherapy clinic, we have an experienced physiotherapist staff who can help you find more ease, strength, and confidence in your day-to-day life.

We invite you to call us and find out how we can help. Read more to learn what we do every day for our patients in hip and knee pain!

5 reasons you should consider physiotherapy for hip and knee pain

1. Move with ease and without pain

Many of the impairments you and your physiotherapist work to correct—including weakness, poor posture, and limited range of motion—may have been caused or worsened by things you’re unknowingly doing.

This includes sitting too much, using poor body mechanics, breathing improperly, and having an ineffective ergonomic set-up at work. A physiotherapist can educate you about ways to move in more energy-efficient and safe ways to enhance the overall effects of your care and reduce the risk of re-injury.

2. Improve the health and fitness of your joints

When you see a physiotherapist for hip or knee pain, he or she may use joint mobilizations or manipulations to help promote healing and attract circulation to the inner joint surfaces.

These techniques have also been shown to reduce pain and improve joint alignment…and they feel good, too! When complemented with services like massage and the Active Release Technique, physiotherapy can help you get physical and mental relief.

3. Participate in treatment methods that are safe, effective, and non-invasive

You don’t have to rely on over-the-counter or prescription painkillers to ease those achy, stiff, swollen joints!

Physiotherapy modalities that have been shown to ease pain, reduce spasms, increase circulation, and promote healing include electrical stimulation, diathermy, cold laser therapy, dry needling, and therapeutic ultrasound.

4. Enhance your range of motion and improve your joint strength

Increasing muscle strength and mobility of the connective tissues around your joints (including the tendons, muscles, fascia, and joint capsules) will help your joints feel better and move better.

This can also help you improve your functional activity tolerance, which is essential for work, leisure, and simple daily function.

5. Reclaim your life!

According to the Arthritis Foundation, exercise is one of the best ways to manage hip pain and knee pain caused by osteoarthritis.

By implementing some or all of the above interventions in a customized treatment plan, a physiotherapist can help you get back to regular exercise in a way that is safe and effective for you, based on your current abilities, goals, and needs.

This is especially helpful if you’re currently on a fat loss journey since being overweight is a major risk factor for knee and hip pain.

What’s causing my hip and knee pains?

Hip and knee pain can be caused by a great number of problems.

Some of these are related to musculoskeletal misalignment, poor posture, and/or excess weight; others occur as the result of natural aging or unhealthy sports/work habits.

Your hip or knee pain may stem from:

  • Infections
  • Bursitis, an inflammation of the friction-reducing sacs surround the joints
  • Tendinitis, or stretched ligaments
  • Osteoarthritis, a painful inflammatory condition involving deteriorated joint cartilage
  • Runner’s knee, an instability of the kneecap
  • Postural/alignment issues that throw your body off balance, straining the knees or hips
  • Traumatic injuries, such as dislocation of the joint

Our physiotherapist can often tell the cause of your hip or knee pain from its location.

For example, pain along the inside of the hip is more likely to be caused by a problem with the bones or cartilage. Pain along the outer side is typically caused by a problem in the muscles, tendons, or ligaments.

Ready to find relief?

The sooner you seek physiotherapy for knee or hip pain, the better. Research shows that patients who rehab their hip or knee pain with physiotherapy within 15 days of symptom onset have less need for pain injections, medications, or surgical intervention.

Tired of spending every day in pain?

Contact our clinic today to schedule an appointment with a physiotherapist and heal from the inside out.

Get Your Hip and Knee Joints Moving Again with These 5 At-Home Exercises

Are your hips and knees feeling stiff, achy, or even painful? Noticing more discomfort in your joints when standing up and moving around? If so, you’re not alone.

This quarantine has taken a toll on many people’s bodies, as it has become much more difficult to maintain the same levels of physical activity at home. However, getting exercise is still very important – especially for your hips and knees!

Your hips and knees were made to move, and when we sit around without exercising them, they can lock up, become tight, and result in discomfort. You may be wondering how you can get the same workouts in your lower extremities without gym equipment – well, we’ve got you covered! Follow the exercises below for both relief and prevention for hip and knee pains – and, as always, if you have any questions about these exercises, don’t hesitate to call or message us.

5 exercises to stretch and strengthen the lower extremities

  1. Hip Circles Hips bothering you while stuck at home? Try some Hip Circles! This easy-to-do exercise is exactly what it sounds like – simply lie on your side, raise your top leg and rotate your hip in a circular motion. Then, switch to the opposite direction. Begin by doing 3 reps of 10 with both legs – your hips will be feeling better in no time!

Here is a video for your reference: https://vimeo.com/354635534/ed456c310a 

  1. Straight Leg Raise. When stuck at home, sedentary tendencies can cause the knees and hips to lock up, resulting in pain. Get those joints moving again with a Straight Leg Raise. Simply lay flat on the ground and lift your legs until they are straight in the air at a 90 degree angle with the rest of your body. Repeat 3 reps of 10 for both legs. Bonus – this also works your abs!

Here is a video for your reference: https://vimeo.com/253319361/385e6397da 

  1. Hip External Rotation Stretch. This is a great stretch for targeting both your hip and knee joints. Begin by sitting on the floor with your feet straight out in front of you. Then, bend one knee across the opposite leg and push down on said knee with your hand – you should feel this stretch in both your hips and knees! Repeat these directions on both sides to get a full stretch.

Here is a video for your reference: https://vimeo.com/396686977/03443a1dcc

  1. Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch. If you are looking for a deep stretch, this is the one for you. Kneel on a mat or soft surface. Make sure you’re positioned so your right knee is straight up and the bottom of your right foot is flat on the floor. Extend your left leg behind you so the top of your left foot is flat on the floor. Begin to shift your weight forward and stop when you begin to feel the stretch in your hip. Hold for 30-45 seconds, then switch legs.

Here is a video for your reference: https://vimeo.com/313249747/fc2b99416b 

  1. Standing Hip Flex. This one will surely get your blood pumping! Begin by standing up straight and then lift your right knee up in a 90 degree angle in front of you. Then, rotate your leg sideways while keeping that same position by shifting your hip muscles. Hold this position and then slowly rotate your hips back to the front and place your foot back down, flat on the ground. Repeat these same instructions with your left knee, completing 3 reps of 10 on each side. 

Here is a video for your reference: https://vimeo.com/398211318/e408af2c5c

Questions?

Looking for more assistance with these exercises? No problem! If you have any questions about how to perform these exercises or add more into your daily routine, call or message us at any time. We are here to help you remain active, safe, and healthy at home!

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