Your Knees Aren’t Bad…They’re Undertrained!
Have you resigned yourself to the thought that your knees are “bad” or that knee pain is normal as you age? At BEYOND Physical Therapy, we’ve heard it all – from runners worried they’re destined for a knee replacement to older adults who have been told their pain is due to arthritis. The truth is, knee pain is rarely inevitable. Physical Therapy can be very helpful in addressing knee pain or even working to prevent it down the line. In this blog post, we’ll address some common misconceptions about knee pain that we have heard from patients.
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Here are some common misconceptions about knee pain that we have heard from patients:
“I have bad knees”
“My knees hurt because I have arthritis”
‘“I’m a runner so I know I’ll need a knee replacement one day”
“My knees have been hurting for several years, so this is just how it is for me”
“Knee pain is normal at my age”
Do any of these sound like you?
At BEYOND Physical Therapy, we are working to change the narrative on knee pain, especially in older individuals. We know that physical therapy and performance training can make a HUGE difference in someone’s knee pain, regardless of their age, duration of pain, or history of exercise.
Here are some of our thoughts in response to these misconceptions about knee pain:
“I have bad knees”
Your knees aren’t bad…they’re undertrained! Labelling your knees as “bad” is often highlighting the deficits in knee mobility, strength, and control – but it doesn’t mean your knees are damaged! Most times, we see that your knees might actually be undertrained for the tasks at hand (whether that is playing your sport or getting up and down from the floor to play with your child). At BEYOND PT, we focus on discovering the deeper cause of your knee pain and working to improve those deficits.
“My knees hurt because I have arthritis”
Arthritis does not equal pain! We have a lot of recent research showing that there is no correlation between those who have arthritis and those who have knee pain. This means there are plenty of people who have knee pain with no arthritis, and plenty of people who have arthritis without knee pain.
“I’m a runner so I know I’ll need a knee replacement one day”
Running is an activity that requires a great deal of strength, cardiovascular endurance, and power – especially because it involves lots of repetition of the same movements. Unfortunately, we often see runners have inadequate hip strength, lumbopelvic control, and calf strength to support the high demands of running.
Research is currently mixed on the correlation of running and knee arthritis/pain, with some studies showing runners have higher incidences of knee arthritis and others showing runners have lower incidences of knee replacement surgeries.
We stand by the notion that running itself is safe, but it requires a lot more training than most people expect in order to run injury-free for the long-term!
“My knees have been hurting for several years, so this is just how it is for me”
When someone has been experiencing knee pain for quite some time, it can sometimes feel that this is how it will always be. Fortunately, we have seen many patients experience the opposite with physical therapy! A longer duration of symptoms will often mean that it will take longer to improve those symptoms when compared to an acute bout of symptoms (For example, someone with knee pain for 3 years may need more physical therapy care than someone having knee pain for 1 month). Despite the increased amount of time it may take to notice improvement, physical therapy can often be extremely helpful in improving chronic knee pain!
“Knee pain is normal at my age”
While aging does come with physical changes – it doesn’t mean pain is inevitable! As we age, our knee joint and surrounding muscles & tendons do become less efficient. However, these changes do not directly lead to knee pain. Improving your knee joint mobility, knee muscle flexibility and strength, hip and ankle mobility & strength can greatly improve knee pain in older adults. Age is only one factor, and one that we cannot control – but training your knees adequately is often controllable!
Where should I start?
If any of these misconceptions resonate with you, please know that there are solutions out there! At BEYOND Physical Therapy, we uncover the deeper causes of your knee pain and dysfunction during your initial evaluation. Over the course of treatment, we work to improve any deficits that exist, from mobility limitations to strength deficits. We work to gradually improve your symptoms and build you back up to the activities you would love to be doing.
Schedule your complimentary 15-minute introduction call with one of our Doctors of Physical Therapy today to learn more:
https://beyond-physical-therapy.com/schedule-now/
Feel free to contact us with any questions!
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