Knee Injuries: Types and Rehabilitation

The knee joint is made up of bones, ligaments, cartilages, and synovial fluid. If any of these structures fail, it may have a significant impact on your life. It’s a hinge joint, which allows the leg to bend and straighten. Factors that may cause knee problems include aging, being overweight, improper training, an accident, and overuse.

There are two main categories of knee injuries: acute injuries and overuse injuries. As the name suggests, overuse injuries occur from mild stresses that built up over time. It involves some of the most common knee injuries, bursitis, patellar tendinopathy, and Patellofemoral pain.

An easy way of explaining patellofemoral pain is the kneecap goes off track of the thighbone. This is mostly caused by muscle weakness (quadriceps and gluteals) and muscle tightness (hamstrings, quadriceps, and hips flexors), bad limb alignment, and overuse from increasing training too quickly.

Acute injuries are caused by a single traumatic event. It involves muscle strain, meniscus tear, and knee ligament sprain or tears. These injuries often caused by a muscle tear from rapid acceleration in sports, rotation from falling (your foot is planted and your body falls in the opposite direction), and many other types of accidents. Some of these problems can also be caused by aging (e.g., degenerative meniscus tear).

Below are some rehabilitation exercises you can try right after, in a week or two, four weeks to six weeks or longer after the initial injury. Timing may be different for each individual depending on the severity the injury. Some exercises can also be used to add strength and mobility to your muscles to prevent or recover from overuse injuries. Knee pain can also involve multiple problems, so please make sure talk to us before attempting any rehabilitation exercises on your own.