Knee Physio in Newcastle
Treat knee injuries with our evidence based treatments for pain relief, designed to help you return to sport and daily activities in Newcastle.
Fitness Physiotherapy in Newcastle treat knee injuries with evidence based treatments for pain relief and return to sport and daily activities. Evidence based treatments have been shown to be effective through clinical research, giving people a successful return to sport and life. 
Knee joint anatomy
The knee is a hinge joint, made up of the upper thigh and lower leg bones, with a knee cap sitting over the top. In between the two bones is meniscus, cartilage and cruciate ligaments. Ligaments and a surrounding capsule hold the joint together, keeping the joint stable with the muscles and tendons.
Common knee injuries
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the normal aging process in the knee. This usually involves loss of joint cartilage. Joint cartilage normally provides a protective layer over bone and reduces in height as we age. Other structures such as ligaments, meniscus, tendons as well bone shape can change over time. Some of these changes can result in pain, but the extent of the injuries is not consistent with the degree of pain people experience. Pain is also dependent psychosocial factors.
Recent research points to an effective exercise program call "GLAD", developed in Denmark that show reductions in pain and need for knee replacement.
READ MORE and book in to join the GLAD program
Ligaments tears
Knee ligaments join the bones of the knee together helping to hold the knee joint in position during activities. When the stresses on the ligament outweigh the capacity for them to cope, then tears occur. The most common ligaments to tear are the medial collateral, lateral collateral and the cruciate ligaments.
Treatments for knee ligament tears usually involve a period of relative protection and a supervised graded rehabilitation program. Ligaments heal up and strengthen with the a correct exercise loading program. It is important to complete a the correct rehabilitation as research points to less recurrence and better outcomes. Not all rehabilitation programs as equal and we will provide you with an evidenced based exercise program that has been shown in studies to be successful.
Fractures
Fractures are breaks in bone and usually result from compressive trauma. The management of these is very specific and dependent on the type of fracture, location and if there are separate structures injured. More severe cases will require a longer period of rest in a cast or splint and all will benefit from a strengthening program. The length of the rehabilitation and return to play is usually longer, however outcomes are usually positive following fractures, as bones are very vascular and heal up strong.
We have experience in this area as we work closely with orthopeadic surgeons providing physio services for them at Lingard Hospital, managing fractures on a daily basis.
Knee cap disorders
Knee cap pain or what we call "patellofemeral pain" (PFP), is a common complaint we see in our clinic. From the young netballer to the older runner, the joint can become inflammed. The cause of the pain is usually when the stress in the joint outweighs its natural recovery process of producing new cartilage to cushion the underlying bone. Factors such as training loads, alignment and strength have been shown to have a bearing on PFP. Research shows that a multi dimensional approach that addresses all the factors will show positive outcomes for return to sport and play.
Meniscus tears
Meniscus are bits of strong cartilaginous material that sit in between your upper and lower leg bones. There is one on the inside and outside compartments of the joint. Meniscus can be torn as a result of an injury or through normal aging processes. A traumatic tear usually through vigorous activity occurs when there is extreme rotational compressive forces on the knee joint. Like any tear, they come in all shapes and sizes. The good news is that they respond very well to some initial relative rest and supervised exercise programs. However, if the knee joint continually locks, then arthroscopic surgery can be performed.
Patella tendon strains
The patellar tendon works with the muscles in the front of your thigh to straighten your leg. Patella tendons can become torn resulting in pain with reduced strength and function. It can be torn with sudden excessive or smaller repetitive forces where the tendon structure isn't strong enough to meet the demands of the thigh muscle contractions.
Patella tendons respond very well to physiotherapy. The time for recovery is dependent on the degree and location of the tear. It is important to get the right physiotherapy and rehab as no tears and people are the same. Programs have to be individually tailored and progressed based on milestones achieved.
