Redefining Resilience: A Patient and Sports Therapists success story of overcoming knee pain and returning to activity and lifestyle.

As we are all aware, our knees are essential for mobility, stability, and weight-bearing activities. They enable us to walk, run, and perform daily tasks comfortably; but sometimes we can come into some difficulty and require further help. In this case, Mrs. C hobbled into my clinic with an inability to weight-bear with loss of movement, severe pain, and swelling around the knee and she was unable to complete daily tasks at her very active job and with her two young children; in many cases this can be extremely upsetting and deraling for anyone. 

After a detailed initial consultation with myself, followed by a series of clinical tests in the clinic we had reached a diagnosis/impression of where her knee pain was coming from, and how this might of occurred. In the case of Mrs. C, she had a classic case of meniscal inflammation (this is a fancy way of describing a pad-like structure in the knee that can become inflamed, swollen, hot, and painful with activity and movement). To Mrs C’s distress over her knee pain, after some goal setting, and detailed education on the condition, little did she know this would set the course for our treatment plan going forward.  

If you're curious…Meniscal inflammation, also known as meniscitis, refers to the irritation, swelling, and inflammation of the meniscus, which is a C-shaped piece of cartilage in the knee joint that acts as a cushion and helps to stabilize the joint during movement. Meniscal inflammation can occur due to various factors, including sudden twisting or bending of the knee, repetitive stress on the knee joint, degenerative changes associated with aging, or underlying conditions such as osteoarthritis.

Now for Mrs C, we had to make treatment specific to her work and life commitments such as an active job, we advised a strategy to successfully work at home for two weeks while I got to work with some hands-on therapy and a customer exercise plan from home we were able to reduce her pain and create a more functional knee. Within 2 weeks, she was weight-bearing and beginning to move but with some restrictions, we began ‘returning to active work’ for load-bearing while still reducing the risk of a flare-up. We also implemented some ‘flare-up management’ including rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE therapy) to reduce swelling and alleviate pain. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Upon lengthening short muscles restricting the knee, strengthening weak areas to support the knee, and lots of gradual activity planning for Mrs. C, we can happily say, that with some time and confidence in her knee, she is back to full-time active work, and is running circles around her kids playing football in the garden. 

Mrs. C’s plan was based on her circumstances and ability to perform rehab both personally and environmentally, not every issue requires big lifestyle changes but they do need professional advice and support. Through her rehab, we were also successfully able to proactively strengthen her whole leg and hips to create a better, healthier, and more functional life every day and she even enjoys hiking. This is a great demonstration of resilience for Mrs. C, pushing past physical fear safely with a healthcare professional,  highlighting the importance of early detection and proper management to prevent further issues and improve overall well-being.