The human knee joint is very important to our mobility. It consists of a complex arrangement of interacting components. These components are…
- Bones that give it strength (femur, tibia, and patella),
- Ligaments that stabilize the joint (medial collateral, anterior, posterior cruciate),
- Tendons that hold muscle to bone (patella, quadriceps, and hamstring)
- Cartilage that provides cushion for the bones, allowing them to move smoothly over each other (articular and meniscus) and
- Muscles. The quadriceps muscles go across the knee joint at the front of the knee, the hamstrings at the back.
The knee joint is partially enclosed in a capsule and relies on the ligaments for stability.
The ligaments surround small sacs of synovial fluid that are called bursae.
These small sacs act to protect the joint structures by reducing friction. There are about a dozen of these bursae located around the knee joint and their purpose is to allow the knee joint to move freely.
The Effects of Knee Damage
When these vital fluid sacs are damaged in any way, through sport knee injuries, or work-related injuries or even from a fall or knock to the knee, knee pain is often inevitable and swollen knees can occur.
When there is wear and tear from too much pressure, overuse and strain on this part of the body, this will, in turn, affect other parts to restrict movement and blood flow, thus restricting the ability to function at full capacity.
Some of The Causes of Knee Pain
The knee joint is very susceptible to damage from trauma in many ways.
Many different sports can result in troublesome knee injuries due to sudden stopping, sliding, twisting. turning or colliding with another player.
These traumas to the knee can lead to such injuries as medial knee pain on the inside of the knee or to a lateral meniscus tear.
This can result in excruciating knee joint pain and stress on the knee joint. Sore knees, inner knee pain, or aching knees can even eventually lead to osteroarthritic knee problems in the long term.
Aquatic Exercise as Treatment for Knee Pain
When the knee joint is damaged or becomes arthritic, the whole body is affected and this may result in severe knee pain.
Knee pain can severely limit the ability to exercise and it may be necessary to consider alternative forms of exercise.
Aquatic exercise is often used in the treatment of knee joint pain, as it is a type of exercise that can be performed without placing too much stress on the components of the knee, and it may alleviate knee pain.
Hydrotherapy knee exercises are low-impact and include water exercises for arthritic knees. They are also often known as aqua-aerobics or water aerobics.
Low-impact water exercises for knee pain are recommended to generate increased blood flow around the knee joints, hence strengthening the knees as well as accelerating healing after knee injuries.
Water aerobics exercises can even be fun and can include an “aqua jog’ which is good therapy for knee pain.
One popular form of water aerobics is known as “Aqua Zumba” which uses music to make water exercises for knee pain more enjoyable.
Hydrotherapy Knee Exercises – Pool physiotherapy exercise for knee pain
Hydrotherapy for chronic pain has been shown to be an effective treatment and hydrotherapy for knee pain is recommended. If you are suffering from osteoarthritis, hydrotherapy is a great way, not only to relieve pain, but may assist in recovery.
When performing hydrotherapy knee exercises, always remember to keep the knee of the standing leg bent gently to improve balance and always move in a range that feels good. The range of movement should feel comfortable to you.
It is advisable to repeat each exercise five to ten times before changing to the other leg.
If you gradually increase the speed of each motion, you will begin to increase strength in each knee. To improve flexibility, slow down the movement and gradually increase the range of motion.
In addition to the above causes, knee pain can also result from poor nutrition. If you suffer from arthritis or joint pain due to too much stress on the knee, you may need to consider paying close attention to your diet.
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