Do I need a knee assessment?
If you are struggling with a knee injury or you have developed knee pain, you might be wondering if you need an assessment?
In Physiotherapy practice, knee assessments are vital to establish what structure has been damaged or what tissues have been irritated. This will then direct your diagnosis. There are many structures in your knee that can be injured; bone, tendon, ligament, cartilage, meniscus or nerve. Without an assessment and diagnosis you will be trying to manage your problem without a map or directions.
Sometimes if the injury isn’t significant a bit of rest and ice can solve the problem but often this is not the case. Each diagnosis will follow a different treatment process and you will receive this if you see a physiotherapist.
Some injuries require onward referral to see an orthopaedic consultant or at least further testing; for example an X-ray or MRI scan. A Physiotherapist will identify the more serious conditions and know when to refer you on. A delay in getting the right care can delay and prolong your recovery and suffering.
I have experienced both the personal anguish of knee injuries and worked with countless people with knee injuries professionally. Knee injuries not only provide you with pain and disability but they prevent you from participating in your favourite hobbies/sports, spending quality time with friends and family and even the loss of work.
The recovery is not always easy and the process is not always straightforward but from my experience with hard work, persistence and patience you can get back to doing what you love. After knee surgery to reconstruct my anterior cruciate ligament at 19 years old, I am still playing football at 34 years old with minimal issues and still loving it.
The road to getting here wasn’t easy, partly because in the early years I self managed it poorly and only got to grips with it as I trained to become a physio. This is why I am so passionate about helping to get you the right professional support early, consistently throughout your recovery and anytime you experience a reoccurrence of the problem.
I hope this blog helps you to understand the importance of receiving a knee assessment and please feel free to contact me if you would like to book one in either virtually or face to face.
Many thanks
Dave Adkins
Physiotherapist and Knee Specialist
