Even if you’re not a long-distance runner or athlete, your knees undergo constant repetitive stress each and every day, which means they’re often the first joint that experiences pain, stiffness, or other issues as you age. Knee pain and knee stiffness hinders your ability and enjoyment of daily life, but it’s not something you just need to accept.
Through targeted, personalized physical therapy techniques, you can regain range of motion, strength, and pain-free living with your knees, whether you’re working with original hardware or have had a knee surgery at some point in the past.
What causes stiff knees?
Any number of factors can cause your knees to become stiff and you to experience knee pain while bending the joint. Among the most common causes and risk factors for knee pain or knee stiffness are:
- Knee bursitis
- Tendinitis
- Cartilage breakdown
- Dislocated kneecap
- Rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis
These conditions, as well as certain knee injuries, often lead to inflammation and/or swelling in the knee, contributing to symptoms of knee stiffness or fullness and pain.
How to loosen a stiff knee
Despite most people’s best efforts at preventing knee problems, stiffness in the knee is always a possibility of aging. Our physical therapists employ a range of techniques for “loosening” tight knee joints and promoting strength, mobility, and range of motion both in the short term and for years to come. Keeping in mind the fact that every person is unique, our physical therapy techniques for knee stiffness might include:
- Low-impact exercise routine
- Posture and gait analysis
- Cross-friction massage
- Ice and heat treatment
Many but not all of our physical therapy treatments are supplemented by at-home care routines, including knee exercises for stiffness.
Stiff knee exercises
As part of a comprehensive physical therapy treatment plan, targeted knee exercises can help strengthen the weakened muscles in and around the knee that contribute to a lack of mobility, as well as the neuromuscular pathways that tell the knee how to bend in a healthy way. A few exercises we might utilize to help alleviate stiff knees include:
- Lying or sitting leg raises
- Leg lifts
- Hamstring stretches
- Calf raises
- Quadricep stretches
- Sit/stand exercises
Everyone’s knee pain symptoms are different, reflecting the numerous possible causes for your unique symptoms. Performing new or strenuous exercises without the guidance of a physical therapist may worsen a knee injury or be ineffective given your unique circumstances. These exercises are described as examples only, not a guarantee of successful results.
Knee stiffness after surgery
Post-knee surgery recovery is a major cause for seeking physical therapy treatments. After a partial or total knee replacement, your joint and muscles will benefit from early and consistent intervention through the use of manual manipulation of the affected joint as well as exercises like the ones mentioned above.
However, using the affected knee at all after surgery requires extreme caution to avoid causing damage to the knee or prolonging the recovery period. You should only perform exercises and stretches that don’t exceed your doctor or physical therapist’s instructions, since they are the experts who know your current medical condition as well as your history and goals for recovery.
At t he same time, we know not everyone experiences completely successful recovery after knee surgery, and lingering stiffness is a common symptom of incomplete or non-ideal healing. If you have completed the recommended knee surgery rehab plan and still experience knee stiffness after surgery, our knee specialists may be able to help.
Knee stiffness treatment in North Carolina
Whether you’ve had a knee replacement surgery or are starting to feel the effects of the aging process, knee stiffness can put a damper on your lifestyle. At Carolina Strong, we’re passionate about helping people get the functionality and freedom from pain they’re looking for through natural, holistic treatment plans. Call one of our eastern NC offices to learn more about how we might be able to help.
