Imagine you’re at work. Everything’s going fine when someone taps you on the shoulder, so you turn around. In the act of twisting quickly, you hear your knee crunch. The pain doesn’t start immediately, but it’s noticeable in the days and weeks ahead. Walking grows more difficult. This is what it’s like to suffer a work related knee injury.
It can happen to you. In part, that’s because the knee is much more than a simple joint. True, the knee’s hinge action seems pretty straightforward. But this movement is essential for the flexing and movement of your legs. And your knee must also bear your body’s entire weight. This means that even common work related knee injuries can limit your everyday movements. Knee injuries can make it hard to move easily, hard to walk, and even hard to stand. When you suffer from a knee injury, physical therapy is often used to address your symptoms and promote faster healing. That’s why seeing a work injury doctor can help!
If you’ve suffered a work related knee injury, you might be concerned that surgery is your only option for treatment. That’s an understandable fear. Most people assume that surgery is the only way for your knee to heal. But that’s not necessarily true. In fact, physical therapy (sometimes called rehab) can help you avoid surgery–and regain your mobility.
Common Work Related Knee Injury Types
As with some other parts of your body (especially joints), the knees can be particularly prone to injury. Common work related knee injury types will depend on your specific occupation. Some jobs, for example, may leave you vulnerable to repetitive motion injuries. While other professions may involve an increased danger of sprains or strains.
Collectively, the most common work-related knee injuries typically include:
- Tears of the meniscus.
- Tendon or ligament tears (this includes common athletic injuries, such as an ACL tear).
- Sprains.
- Strains.
- Bone breaks (for example, a broken kneecap can leave you unable to walk).
Obviously, breaks are more likely to occur due to traumatic injury, such as a collision or car accident. But other injuries can occur slowly and over time. This can be especially true for those who are working in the field that are hard on the knees (such as laborers or construction workers, for example).
Can Knee Injuries be Prevented?
The best way to minimize discomfort is to avoid an injury in the first place. This isn’t always possible, but there are some steps you can take to reduce your work related knee injury risk. Those steps include:
- Warm up: Be sure to stretch and warm up your muscles before engaging in physical activities. This will help loosen ligaments, tendons, and connective tissue. And this will make your knees less prone to injury, especially when it comes to sprains and strains.
- Wear protective gear: Protecting your knees can prevent a wide variety of injuries. For example, you may wear knee pads when working on a construction site (especially if you spend a great deal of time on your knees).
- Make sure to take breaks: There’s nothing to gain from straining your knees all day. Constant stress will make your knees more susceptible to injuries. But taking breaks can help relieve that stress, making a positive, long-term impact on your knees.
- Don’t ignore signs of strain or pain: If you are knee experiencing pain (especially when you’re on the job), it’s essential to rest your knee (and seek out a diagnosis).
How to Treat Your Knee Injury
The best way to treat your knee injury will depend on the nature of that injury. Some injuries can be treated at home. Others might need more specialized medical attention. Your physical therapist will be able to tell you how best to treat your injury. Talking to a work injury doctor soon after your injury can help prevent a minor injury from progressing into a serious one.
Most people who treat knee injuries at home will want to remember the acronym RICE. This stands for:
- Rest
- Ice
- Compression
- Elevation
In many cases, the RICE method will be sufficient to help you recover from a minor acute injury. Even if your work injury doctor decides that you need physical therapy treatments, you may still be instructed to use the RICE method at home.
How Physical Therapy Can Help Your Knee
In the event that rest and your natural healing abilities will not be enough to treat your injury, your work injury doctor may recommend physical therapy. Also known as “rehab,” physical therapy can be used to help your knee heal and increase your range of movement. During your initial meeting with your physical therapist, you’ll develop an effective treatment plan specific to your injury and your needs.
That treatment plan will be unique to you, but the general approach will emphasize improving your range of motion, minimizing your discomfort, and improving your body’s strength and resilience. This is usually accomplished with targeted exercises and movements. But physical therapy may also include:
- Ultrasound therapy
- The use of heat and cold to warm up the area and control for swelling
Common physical therapy exercises for a work related knee injury may include:
- Single leg dips
- Straight leg lifts
- Balancing exercises
- Squats
- Hamstring curls
- And more
The exercises and movements used will vary depending on the nature of your injury. But the right approach to physical therapy can help your body heal faster and often prevents the need for surgery. If you do require surgery for your knee injury, your physical therapist will be able to provide you with a referral. That’s why it’s a good idea to see a physical therapist as soon as you start noticing pain and discomfort in your knees.
Working with a Work Injury Doctor
When you suffer a work related knee injury, your first priority will likely be to resume your normal activities (including going back to work) as quickly as possible. At Diaspo, we have years of experience helping patients recover from injuries fast. Our goal is to get you back to your daily life.
If you’re concerned about your knee, contact us today to schedule an appointment.
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