Rapid Rehab LA Pilates Based Physical Therapy Brentwood California

For initial relief from a knee injury the best approach is what physical therapists and physicians refer to as R.I.C.E. This stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Inflammation will be the first symptom of the injury that will need to be treated. Rest is also a bid factor in knee injury recovery.

Depending on the severity of the injury sometimes crutches may be needed, but trying to use the knee a lot less, especially in rigorous activity, will be of great importance in the healing process.

Physical therapy is also a great pairing in the recovery process with R.I.C.E. Having programs designed to improve the condition, with the focus being on active recovery, greatly benefits those will knee injuries in the long run. When the knee is prompted to engage in safe yet effective exercises it will be able to acclimate to normal activity much faster and with more ease than just rest alone can give. The goal of physical therapy is to reintroduce a person to their previous active lifestyle, without the injury continuing to get worse, or never fully healing.

Pillates-based rehab has also had much success as an added step in the process of healing knee injuries. Because of its gentle approach to healing, Pilates-based rehab allows for the entire body to be active while a patient may still be in recovery.

Muscular imbalances are one of the leading causes of knee injuries, and Pilates aims to retrain the body’s functionality to work as one cohesive unit. This provides an avenue for not only the injury to improve but also drastic improvements will be made in postural habits, quality of movement, mind-body connection, and core strength.

When it comes to specific conditions like Chrondomalcia, physical therapy and Pilates act as viable treatment options as well.

Physicians will often recommend low impact activity, such a cycling, swimming, walking, and Pilates and yoga. Surgery is of course an option, but if a holistic approach is preferred, since may patients wish to forego the invasiveness of a procedure these low-impact exercises will help improve the condition without surgery.

For torn ligaments such as the ACL, PCL, and LCL it is important to strengthen the muscles surrounding the injury. Since rigorous or weight bearing activity is strictly discouraged, it can be somewhat challenging to improve strength surrounding the injury without furthering the damage in the area of concern.

With the exercises and modalities that physical therapy and Pilates based rehab offer, a client can heal the injury and increase the overall health of their body at the same time. While the exercises, poses, and movements in Pilates and physical therapy are challenging to the body and build strength, they avoid the risk that more conventional forms of exercise and training may impose.

There are many causes of knee injuries, but proper alignment, heightened body awareness and core strengthening when balanced with low impact cardio, will result in a lower chance of a knee injury in an individual.

Most people can remember a time when they have had minor knee issues. Since your knees bear the brunt of everyday activities, and are easily twisted and “tweaked”, it isn’t any wonder that knee injuries can affect all demographics of people. From the weekend gardener to the professional athlete, any one who uses their knees in daily activity is at risk for developing a knee injury.

The most common cause of a knee injury is sports related. Any recreational activity that involves kicking, stopping, twisting, or turning heightens the chances of a strain. However, arthritis of the knees, Osteoporosis, the natural aging process, and poor health habits are also big factors in a knee injury cause. The knee is the largest joint in the body.

Since it is so, there is a cushion of cartilage surrounding the knee, which absorbs shock from impact from sudden changes of movement or weight bearing exercises. With the knee being the biggest joint in the body there is more cartilage surrounding the joint, and therefore creates a higher potential for tearing in some cases.

In addition to more cartilage, tendons as well as muscles surround the knee. Where the upper leg and the lower leg meet, the knee acts as the hinge between the two bones. The femur is the upper leg bone, and the tibia and fibula are the lower leg bones.

Ligament issues rank among the top types of knee injuries and happen quite often. When an athlete does stop short, or change the body’s direction quickly, sometimes the force of motion can cause for torn ligaments within the knee.

There are a few ligaments in the knee that can be affected by this type of injury. Familiar terms for what type of ligament is most often injured in this instance are the anterior cruciate ligament (which is commonly known as the ACL), the medial collateral posterior cruciate ligaments (PCL), and the lateral collateral ligament (LCL).

Another condition called Chondromalacia is a great threat to knee health. Underneath the kneecap, a deterioration of the cartilage occurs which leads to a softening of the knee joint. This can develop from blunt trauma to the knee, muscular imbalances, overuse, or improper alignment of the kneecap. When “friction” is found in and around the kneecap, pain begins to become a part of the everyday routine.

With this condition, walking down stairs, hills, or bending the knee will always be followed by a dull pain. The uncomfortable sensation of “rubbing” that takes place under the kneecap will worsen as you age, as well as if you are trying to maintain the same level of activity previous to an injury.

An inflammation of the tendons can occur from overuse, this is technically called tendonitis. This cause of knee injuries will be accompanied by tenderness in the knee, right where the cap (patella) meets the bone of the leg. This is also called “Jumpers Knee” and sometimes happens from quick or sudden impact, movements, or just general fatigue. On the heels of tendonitis, if a tingling or burning sensation runs itself along the inside of the knee, it may be Iliotibial Band Syndrome, which is another type of knee injury.