Sports and Physical activities make us active but sometimes also cause injuries. Knee injuries are among the most common injuries in athletes, affecting professional and recreational players across the globe in a wide range of sports. Whether caused by sudden trauma, movement, or overuse, knee injuries can significantly impact an athlete’s performance and mobility if ignored.
So, what approach should we choose to treat sports-related knee injuries? Honestly, there are so many options from over-the-counter medicines and pain-relieving sprays to complicated surgeries. But Physiotherapy is quite popular because of its non-invasive methods and holistic ways. Expert physiotherapists play a crucial role in designing treatment plans and rehabilitation programs for these injuries, helping athletes recover faster and reduce the risk of future injuries.
In this blog, we will explore the most common sports-related knee injuries, their symptoms, and treatment plans. We are also going to talk about how physiotherapy can aid recovery and prevent the recurrence of injury.
Common Sports-Related Knee Injuries
1. Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tear
- Overview: The ACL is one of the main ligaments that stabilize the knee joint and provide support to the knees. ACL injuries commonly occur due to sudden stops while playing any particular sport. Injuries can also occur due to changes in direction, or jumping, such as football, basketball, and soccer.
- Symptoms: Athletes report experiencing a “popping” sensation in the knee, followed by pain, swelling, and instability when suffering from ACL tear.
- Treatment: ACL tears may require surgical intervention in fatal cases, especially for athletes looking to return to high-level sports. Physiotherapy is essential both before and post-surgery rehabilitation to strengthen the knee, regain mobility, and restore knee function.
2. Meniscus Tear
- Overview: The meniscus is a cartilage structure that surrounds the knee joint and cushions them. It can tear while performing weight-lifting activities generally when an athlete twists or rotates their knee. Meniscus tears are common among athletes who play sports like soccer, tennis, and skiing.
- Symptoms: Symptoms include pain, swelling, stiffness, and difficulty extending the knee fully.
- Treatment: Depending on the severity of the Meniscus tear, treatment starts with taking rest, through physiotherapy, or surgery. Physiotherapy helps strengthen knees by improving function and enhancing stability, and mobility while promoting healing.
3. Patellar Tendinitis (Jumper’s Knee)
- Overview: Patellar tendinitis is a disorder that occurs due to overuse of the knee. This injury affects athletes who engage in sports that require frequent jumping like basketball or volleyball. It causes inflammation of the patellar tendon which connects the kneecap to the shinbone.
- Symptoms: Symptoms involve pain and tenderness around the knee when jumping or climbing stairs.
- Treatment: Physiotherapy treatment focuses on strengthening the quadriceps and hamstrings and improving flexibility to relieve tension in the patellar tendon. Physiotherapists suggest performing eccentric strengthening exercises for recovery.
4. Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS)
- Overview: ITBS occurs when the iliotibial band which is a thick band of tissue running along the outside of the thigh becomes inflamed or irritated from overuse. This disorder is common in long-distance runners and cyclists.
- Symptoms: Athletes experience severe pain on the outer side of the knee while cycling or running marathons.
- Treatment: Physiotherapy treatment for ITBS includes stretching the iliotibial band, foam rolling, and strengthening the hip and glute muscles to improve function and prevent recurrence.
5. Knee Bursitis
- Overview: Bursitis is an injury that occurs when the bursae, small fluid-filled sacs that cushion the knee joint, become inflamed. This injury caused due to repetitive kneeling or direct knee impacts, such as wrestling or rugby.
- Symptoms: Knee Bursitis symptoms include swelling, warmth in affected areas, and pain in the knee, especially while bending or pressing.
- Treatment: Physiotherapy helps reduce inflammation through modalities such as ice massage, heat compression, and specific exercises to reduce strain on the bursa and enhance recovery.
How Physiotherapy Aids in Recovery
Physiotherapy plays an important role in managing sports-related knee injuries, not only during the recovery phase but also in preventing further damage by educating patients. Physiotherapy contributes to successful rehabilitation in the following ways:
- Effective Pain Relief and Inflammation Management
One of the main priorities of physiotherapy treatment is to reduce pain and inflammation in the injured knee. Through techniques like cryotherapy (ice therapy), electrical stimulation, and manual therapy, physiotherapists help athletes alleviate discomfort. These modalities and therapies help control swelling, improve blood circulation, and accelerate the healing process.
- Restoring Range of Motion
Knee injuries often lead to muscle stiffness and limited mobility, which can affect an athlete’s performance when ignored. Physiotherapists use passive and active range of motion exercises to gently put pressure, stretch, and mobilize the knee joint. This restores flexibility in muscles and joints and prevents scar tissue formation, ensuring that the knee can move freely without restriction.
- Strengthening Surrounding Muscles
Weakness in the muscles around the knee, particularly in the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles, can increase the risk of re-injury and inflammation. Physiotherapy treatment involves progressive strengthening exercises to build muscle mass and improve knee stability. Strong muscles act as a support system for the injured joint and reduce strain which reduces the chances of future injuries.
- Improving Balance and Proprioception
After a knee injury, the body can lose the awareness of joint position and can be impaired, leading to a higher risk of falls or missteps. Physiotherapists combine balance and coordination exercises to help athletes regain awareness in joints (proprioception)and improve their overall balance. Physiotherapy techniques such as single-leg standing, wobble boards, and agility drills are widely used to retrain the body to respond to different movements.
- Functional Training and Sport-Specific Rehabilitation
To prepare athletes for returning to their sport, physiotherapists tailor personalized treatments and implement functional training that mimics the movements required during sport. This includes sport-specific drills and warm-up exercises such as running, jumping, or pivoting to help athletes regain confidence in their knee’s ability to handle the demands of their sport. This phase of rehabilitation helps return to sports as soon as possible.
Preventing Re-Injury Through Physiotherapy
Preventing re-injury and providing long-term relief from sport-related knee injuries is one of the most significant benefits of physiotherapy. After going through a rehabilitation plan to cure a knee injury, physiotherapists provide athletes with education and personalized injury prevention programs designed to minimize the risk of future damage. These programs majorly include:
- Stretching and Flexibility Training: Physiotherapists suggest regular stretching routines to maintain flexibility in the knee and surrounding muscles of affected areas.
- Strength Exercise: Consistent strengthening exercises for the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calf muscles to support the knee joint and make them strong.
- Biomechanical Analysis of Injury: Physiotherapists assess and correct improper movement patterns or poor technique that may cause knee injuries.
- Warm-Up and Cool-Down Routines: Physiotherapists educate athletes on the importance of proper warm-ups and cool-down techniques to reduce the risk of injury during sports activities.
Conclusion
Physiotherapy’s contribution to treating and preventing sports-related injuries cannot be denied even if sometimes underappreciated. This approach is an essential component to accelerate the recovery process for athletes dealing with sports-related knee injuries. From alleviating pain and restoring mobility to strengthening muscles surrounding affected areas physiotherapy ensures a comprehensive approach to healing. Physiotherapy helps athletes reclaim balance and provides athletes with the tools and techniques to prevent future injuries.
Physiotherapy plays a pivotal role in helping athlete return to their sport with confidence and strength. So, If you’re an athlete recovering from a knee injury taking the help of an expert physiotherapist is a proactive step toward achieving a faster and safer recovery. Physiotherapy allows you to get back to the activities you love without fear of re-injury and enhance your performance.