There are many reasons for knee pain. Injury is an obvious reason for knee pain, but there are many changeable issues that are common that can result in knee pain. Whether you have been injured, have become deconditioned, or you are just feeling the results of life’s wear and tear, Breaux Bridge Physical Therapy and Wellness is who you want to help you regain and improve your ability to enjoy being active. We will get you Back on Track with one-on-one personalized guidance.

Weakness can surely be a cause of knee pain. It can be due to weak knee muscles but usually knee pain is a result of weak hip muscles. The hips and knees should work together to get us up from sitting, to step us up on a step or curb, as well as when we squat. One of our most common faulty movement techniques is to underutilize our large hip muscles and therefore over burdening our knees. This also contributes to premature knee degeneration and arthritic changes. With the right efforts, weakness is temporary. Breaux Bridge Physical Therapy and Wellness is who you want to help you regain and improve your ability to enjoy being active. We will get you Back on Track with one-on-one personalized guidance.

The hips and knees should work together to get us up from sitting, to step us up on a step or curb as well as when we squat. One of our most common faulty movement techniques is to underutilize our large hip muscles and therefore over burdening our knees. This also contributes to premature knee degeneration and arthritic changes. You can expect diagnostics to show some level of natural degenerative changes to the cartilage in the knees for most people. Whether or not it is causing you pain isn’t always about how bad the arthritis is. It’s partly about that but also depends on your overall trunk, hip, and thigh strength. Some people have significant knee arthritis and do not have any significant pain. It is because they have good overall strength, flexibility, and technique for movements like stepping up steps, squatting, and getting out of their chair. You can improve those same things and expect to see improvement in ease of movement and less pain usually. Breaux Bridge Physical Therapy and Wellness is who you want to help you regain and improve your ability to enjoy being active. We will get you Back on Track with one-on-one personalized guidance.

If you have exhausted your efforts in resolving your pain caused by an arthritic knee, having a joint replacement may have been suggested by your orthopedic surgeon. Surgery should always be you last option, and good pre-op education and preparation is essential to a successful outcome. There are some varieties of techniques and types of knee replacements, and your surgeon will guide you on what is best for you and your individual circumstances. Often the trauma of the injury and the trauma of the surgery can cause reflexive inhibition of the knee muscles. It’s almost like they go to sleep as an involuntary protective mechanism in response to tissue disruption. These muscles must be re-educated on how to activate again. Then the strengthening process can occur. Finding the right stretching routine is crucial as well to regain your motion. If you have the luxury of time to prepare for your surgery, pre-operative physical therapy can really make your post operative recovery easier and possibly shorter. You can come by to talk to us to learn more about what to expect after surgery and what physical therapy will be like. When you know your surgery date, you can schedule your initial evaluation with us and make plans to start your successful recovery. Breaux Bridge Physical Therapy and Wellness is who you want to help you regain and improve your ability to enjoy being active. We will get you Back on Track with one-on-one personalized guidance.

Each knee has two cuplike cushions that the upper leg bone rests in where the joint motion occurs. It is very common to damage them especially with twisting activities. You can have a torn meniscus and potentially not need to have surgery. It just depends on the position and shape of the tear along with whether or not you also have joint instability at the knee. Muscular stability is something that can improve with the right training program. Pain will be your guide in deciding on surgery. Often, the torn meniscus tissue will get flipped up in the joint space and cause the knee to become “locked” and very painful. If you have surgery, usually what is done, is the torn piece of tissue is clipped off and then smoothed as much as possible to create a good surface to weight bear through. Often the trauma of the injury and the trauma of the surgery can cause reflexive inhibition of the knee muscles. It’s almost like they go to sleep as an involuntary protective mechanism in response to tissue disruption. These muscles have to be re-educated on how to activate again. Then the re strengthening process can occur. Finding the right stretching routine is crucial as well to regain your motion. If you have the luxury of time to prepare for your surgery, pre-operative physical therapy can really make your post operative recovery easier and possibly shorter. Breaux Bridge Physical Therapy and Wellness is who you want to help you regain and improve your ability to enjoy being active. We will get you Back on Track with one-on-one personalized guidance.

There are four main ligaments in the knee that hold the bones together. They are all subject to injury and usually require surgical repair. Often the trauma of the injury and the trauma of the surgery can cause reflexive inhibition of the knee muscles. It’s almost like they go to sleep as an involuntary protective mechanism in response to tissue disruption. These muscles have to be re-educated on how to activate again. Then the strengthening process can occur. Finding the right stretching routine is crucial as well to regain your motion. If you have the luxury of time to prepare for your surgery, pre-operative physical therapy can really make your post operative recovery easier and possibly shorter. Breaux Bridge Physical Therapy and Wellness is who you want to help you regain and improve your ability to enjoy being active. We will get you Back on Track with one-on-one personalized guidance.

Your kneecap is very important to the proper function of the knee. It acts as a fulcrum for the forces generated from the thigh muscle. When you fall and land on your knee you can injure it with a fracture or significant break. It rests in the front of the knee and glides up and down with your knee motion. It glides in the groove between the “knuckles” or condyles of the femur. For it to glide smoothly and uniformly in that groove, a good balance of strength, stability, and mobility is required. There are various reasons that this balance can be poor and instable. This results in a faulty glide or “tracking” of the patella causing pain and potential dislocation in which it jumps out of its groove out to the side. There are various surgeries that can repair fractures and add stability to those that are too unstable and chronically dislocating. Whether it is in an effort to prevent surgery or recovery after surgery, Breaux Bridge Physical Therapy and Wellness is who you want to help you regain and improve your ability to enjoy being active. We will get you Back on Track with one-on-one personalized guidance.

The quadriceps is the large muscle group on the front of the thigh. It is very instrumental in standing up from the seated position, squatting, and stepping up on steps. Its action is optimal when in conjunction with the posterior hip muscles. It is common that there is weakness in those hip muscles causing faulty and unstable function in the knees. The patella or “kneecap” is enveloped within the tendonous portions of the quadriceps. When there is this imbalance and faulty mechanics, the tendons can become inflamed, and be in a condition known as patella tendonitis. The patella tendon can also be partially torn or fully ruptured with injury. The quad just as any muscle can also be strained or torn. Torn tendons can be surgically repaired. Tendonitis conditions, post op recovery after surgery, and healing and recovery after partial tears and strains can all benefit from the professional guidance from your physical therapist. Breaux Bridge Physical Therapy and Wellness is who you want to help you regain and improve your ability to enjoy being active. We will get you Back on Track with one-on-one personalized guidance.

The name “hamstrings” refers to the large muscle group on the back of the thigh. Portions of it are commonly strained and torn with activity, especially running. Injury to any muscle will cause scar tissue to form along with a condition of stagnancy in and around the traumatized portion of the muscle. A condition involving what’s called a baker’s cyst occurs when the fluid within the knee joint is forced out of the membrane and then encapsulated. This usually happens when the knee is swollen and becomes pinched behind the knee. The cyst usually is found on the hamstring tendon and causes some pain and stiffness on the posterior side of the knee. If large enough and causing enough pain, the cyst can be surgically removed but most of the time doesn’t need to be if a routine of the appropriate exercises is kept up with. Post op recovery after surgery and healing, retraining, and recovery after partial tears and strains can all benefit from the professional guidance from your physical therapist. Breaux Bridge Physical Therapy and Wellness is who you want to help you regain and improve your ability to enjoy being active. We will get you Back on Track with one-on-one personalized guidance.

The calf refers to the posterior portion of the lower leg. Portions of it are commonly strained and torn with activity, especially running. Injury to any muscle will cause scar tissue to form along with a condition of stagnancy in and around the traumatized portion of the muscle. Post op recovery after surgery and healing, retraining and recovery after partial tears and strains can all benefit from the professional guidance from your physical therapist. Breaux Bridge Physical Therapy and Wellness is who you want to help you regain and improve your ability to enjoy being active. We will get you Back on Track with one-on-one personalized guidance.