Knee
At CPTI we treat a wide variety of knee injuries related to falls, sports injuries, motor vehicle accidents, post –operative procedures and work related injuries.
Patella-Femoral Syndrome/ Poor Patellar Tracking
These conditions are very common and can be treated successfully with physical therapy. Symptoms often appear as pain around or under the knee cap, popping and or grinding under the knee cap, pain with prolonged sitting and going down stairs or declines. The goal of therapy is to regain proper mechanics through medial quad and hip strengthening. It is also important to stretch the IT Band and any other lateral knee tissues. A gait analysis is often necessary to determine if any underlying foot mechanics are adding to or causing the knee pain. Shoe inserts or orthotics can often be helpful. A variety of taping techniques in conjunction with exercise can be very beneficial.
Ligamentous Injuries Pre and Post Operative
(ACL, MCL, LCL, PCS SPRINS/ TEARS)
Patients with the above injuries who are requiring surgery may be sent to physical therapy for pre-operative therapy to regain full range of motion, maintain strength, control pain and swelling to optimize surgical results. Postoperatively, patients will be guided thought a program of exercises which will follow the surgeons protocol for range of motion and strength gains. Strict protocols are followed to ensure protection of the reconstructed ligaments. In the later stages of rehab patients are educated in advanced balance proprioceptive activities and sport specific exercises are given. Four to six months is the average return to sport time frame within most protocols.
Total Knee Replacements
The main goal of therapy is to decrease pain and swelling in order to regain range of motion and functional strength. Range of motion is achieved through manual techniques for knee cap and scar mobility. A range of 120 degrees plus of flexion and 0 degree extension is key to restoring a normal gait pattern. Our patients are progressed through a home exercise program per the doctor’s protocol. Our goal is to minimize pain and optimize function.
Runner’s knee
This is often referred to as Illio-Tibial Band Syndrome or IT Band Friction Syndrome. A thorough diagnosis is important, to determine the cause of this as it can be related to foot/ankle dysfunction, knee dysfunction, or weak muscles in the hip or back.
Meniscus tears, repairs, and meniscectomies
A proper physical therapy evaluation is necessary to determine if a possible biomechanical fault is the reason for the meniscus failure. The rehabilitation for meniscal repairs is very different than that of a meniscectomy. Therefore, it is imperative that you get proper guidance to have the best outcome after one of these surgeries. Meniscal repair procedures usually entail a period of nonweight bearing status to allow healing of the repair.
Prehab
Term used for attending physical therapy sessions for one to three sessions before your surgery. This is done so that you know what to do before your surgery and are able to maximize the improvement and recovery speed post-surgery. This is done with athletes quite frequently, where they see their athletic trainers and physical therapists before their surgery so that they know what to expect, and they end up having a much better outcome, based on scientific medical research.
Experienced Orthopedic Physical Therapists, who have been working with post-surgical scars and traumatic scars for many years, will evaluate the situation and determine the appropriate treatment.
- Scars and Mobility- you can probably imagine how a tight scar in the front of your knee (example: total knee surgery) could limit your bending range of motion.
- Scars and Pain- sometimes scars can be painful as they mature. The “non-elastic” fiber can “press” or “pull” on nerves and blood vessels within the scar tissue causing a painful scar. Loosening up the scar and breaking down the adhesions can reduce pain, improve mobility and restore normal function.
- Anodyne Light Therapy- helps heal wounds, burns, and surgical incisions much faster. A healed wound reduces your chances of infection entering through the open area. Wound healing research indicates that scars have up to a 300% better blood flow (profusion) when the Anodyne is used…making the scar more resistant to reopening and “breaking down.”
We have helped several hundred patients become adhesion free allowing for normal movement, less pain and better functionality. This is also effective in all types of surgery such as open-heart, cosmetic.
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