What to Do When Sports Causes You Knee Pains

Knee pains are quite common not only to those who are athletic but also to those who bend their knees a lot. Knee pain can be caused by a hit on your knee, a bad fall that twists it, overuse, or misaligned bones. There are more causes to it, but I will focus on knee pain caused by doing sports. I will also talk about knee pain treatments, specifically at http://wyndhamrehab.com.au since this was where I consulted. 

A common knee pain I have experienced is called runner’s knee. Now just because it is called “runner’s knee” it automatically means knee pains from running. It is not. I got a runner’s knee when I was just biking. I used to bike and treat it as a sport, going to mountains or having regular long bikes around our subdivision. However, after some time, I noticed that my knees were already feeling a bit of pain. The pain was tolerable at first and so I just ignored it. There came a time that it worsened and I had to go to a doctor. 

The nearest to my place was Wyndham Physio & Rehabilitation. To be honest, I was not inclined to get myself checked since I knew the basics of treating a painful knee. I use the technique “RICE” (rest, ice, compression & elevation) whenever I have knee pains. When  I felt a tinge of pain, I ignored it and still went on biking. After a few days, the pain was more felt although it remained tolerable. This was when I tried treating the pain at home. First, I didn’t go biking. I assumed that it could have been a stuck vein somewhere or an overuse of my muscles. When I saw that there was a small swell, I immediately put ice. A cold pack could do the trick too. This is to prevent the swell from going bigger and more painful. When you have swellings, avoid hot beverages because it might affect it. The third step was to compress. To avoid unnecessary movements affecting my knee, I put a bandage on it in an attempt to make it stiffer. After that, I elevated my leg on some pillows whenever I lay down. 

These things were helpful to me, yes, but the pain was becoming more unbearable so I had to go see a doctor. You should go see a doctor too whenever you cannot take the pain anymore or when you feel like something broke or heard something popped. As I said, I went to Wyndham Physio & Rehabilitation in Werribee. The clinic is a family business run for 30 years and counting. It specializes in physiotherapy having several professionals working full-time. 

Before I was able to book an appointment with the doctor, the receiving nurse/receptionist administered a few simple tests on me to assess my health condition. She then referred me to a doctor to check my slight injury. The doctor claimed that I have an injury called runner’s knee. This is any pain felt on the kneecap. It can be caused by excessive bending of the knees. In my case, my knee joint was overused and so eventually it got irritated. 

The doctor recommended I get physiotherapy sessions to speed up the recovery process. Physiotherapy, also known as physical therapy, is a kind of treatment that uses exercises and massages to heal injuries and muscle pains. At Wyndham, they refer you to a professional physical therapist who assesses your condition and crafts a program that you will follow until you end your sessions. To start your sessions, you do not need your doctor’s approval. If you are availing the TAC, WorkSafe, and Enhanced Primary Care services, then a doctor’s approval is needed.

Since I was having sports injuries that did not include fractures or other severe medications, my physical therapy sessions where mostly exercises and massages. The good thing about going here was that I had a professional opinion on how to heal my knee pain. If I just did this at home, then the healing process would not be as quick. To add to that, if I just tried doing random exercises, then I might end up being counterproductive. I might injure my knee even more. 

There are other services when it comes to physiotherapy at Wyndham Physio & Rehabilitation. They have pilates training, psychology, and pregnancy assessments. When it comes to physiotherapy, they can treat balance problems, post-surgical rehabilitation, back and neck pain, and posture problems. Their methodology in doing these vary. Some are dry needing, pilates, sports taping, and arthritis management. However, apart from these treatments, they encourage you to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The approach is not to be reactive, but preventive when it comes to injuries and future problems. 

If you are experiencing similar knee pains as to mine, or have injuries that are bothersome, you are free to contact the clinic. You may reach them at (03) 9741 8268. Their staff and professionals are very accommodating and they really make you understand the nature of your injury or pain problem. I recommend this physical therapy and rehabilitation clinic to anyone who needs it.

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