knee physical therapy

[anniemae]

Hi,

FOr those who have had pt on their knees, how long did it take to feel a difference? My knee caps were not tracking correctly so I have been in pt to get them back on track. I have been doing excersises to strengthen my quads, hamstring etc. I have been in pt for about 2 weeks and I thought I would see more improvement by now. It still feels tight though. Just curious at how long it took to see results.

Thanks!

 

[Anjelica]

Hi,

FOr those who have had pt on their knees, how long did it take to feel a difference? My knee caps were not tracking correctly so I have been in pt to get them back on track. I have been doing excersises to strengthen my quads, hamstring etc. I have been in pt for about 2 weeks and I thought I would see more improvement by now. It still feels tight though. Just curious at how long it took to see results.

Thanks!

I'm surprised you haven't felt a little "tightness" where the muscles are supposed to help track. I myself am going through PT on my right knee (I'm eventually going to get a full knee replacement but I am "to young"). Can they "tape" your knee for a few days to help with the tracking? That is something new I have done this time around for PT and it seems to help quite a bit - its to teach your muscles and patella to stabilize in the proper position.

Good luck on your PT!!!

 

[taximomfor4]

my middle dd's knee subluxes too (doesn't track properly, so partially dislocates and pops back into place. It pulls toward the outside, I believe.

Anyway, she ends up back in PT for several months (3x/week) every year, sometimes more often.

They warned me that it generally appears as the hips start to spread in girls (not dd yet)so she has to do her PT exercises for the rest of her life.

Her knee generally feels better once the swelling goes down inside the joint. Often weeks after PT. Your PT should be having you sit and ice it before leaving each therapy session, to minimize the swelling that will occur each time. Also, your PT can measure progress. They have all kinds of tools they can use to do so...if you aren't "feeling" better, perhaps having measurements which improve even a little bit will show progress and keep you going.

The very biggest thing : DO your exercises at home, if they are giving you homework...and if they tell you to ice afterward every single time you do your exercises, do so.

 

[minkydog]

The very biggest thing : DO your exercises at home, if they are giving you homework...and if they tell you to ice afterward every single time you do your exercises, do so.

I have to repeat this advice. If you'll do the home exercises religiously, you'll probably have better results faster. I've had PT for knees, ankles, hands, neck, shoulder, and back, all with good results. It takes a lot longer than 2 weeks, though. I"m sure that there is *some* improvement in 2 weeks, but probably not enough to really quantify. Usually, they re-evaluate somewhere around 6wks to see what's happening. My most recent round of PT lasted from April thru July after I suffered whiplash and a separated shoulder in a bad car wreck. Twelve weeks of PT and I *really* worked it, too. But I got the pay-off I wanted: no pain in the neck, fully functioning shoulder, increased flexibility in the spine. Now? it's like the injuries never happened. But the first 2 weeks? I couldn't even hold my own purse. Yay for PT~

 

[Pooh67_68]

I had knee surgery this past april started therapy the very next day. By day 2 the therapist said I had full range back. I only had 10 sessions and I was released.

(The surgery was for a torn meniscus and arthirtis)