Sponsored Story By Shelbourne Knee Center
Taking a walk, riding a bike, even the simple process of sitting in a chair – would be nearly impossible without your knee. The joint functions are often taken for granted, but when the knee is painful or unstable, it becomes apparent how necessary the group of ligaments, muscles and tendons used to create the bending motion, is to everyday life.
The knee supports and centers the body, while allowing the lower leg to move relative to the thigh. When we walk, the load on our knees is equal to 1.5 times our body weight. When climbing stairs, it is equal to 3-4 times our body weight. When we squat, the load on our knees increases to about 8 times our body weight. This small area of our body does a lot of work, so when it is weakened by injury or aging, the body’s stability and flexibility is significantly affected.
Do you have knee pain and instability that affects your life?
Kendall Thompson does. Kendall went out for a bike ride one summer day and had an accident that required surgery and physical therapy on her leg and spine. Unfortunately, she still had knee pain and instability after recovering from the surgery. Working out at the gym helped her regain some strength and range of motion, but her knee still felt unstable and this effected the way she lived her life. “I resumed life in my new normal,” she says. “I didn’t do a lot of the physical activities I used to do, like running, because I didn’t trust my knee.”
Kendall went back to the doctor and discovered that she had also torn her ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). Since their diagnosis required another surgery, Kendall decided to get a second opinion from the specialists at the Shelbourne Knee Center. They confirmed the diagnosis and started a new program of physical therapy to improve her knee’s range of motion. She is considering ACL construction and is looking forward to being able to hike with her husband and son.
Life doesn’t have to be painful
Treatment for knee injuries does not always mean surgery and/or replacement. Many conditions such as meniscus tears and arthritis heal with proper physical therapy. If surgery is recommended for sports injuries, such as ACL tears, the orthopedic surgeons at Shelbourne Knee Center have a 85-90% return to sport rate - in as little as three months.
Don’t sit on the sidelines with pain and instability! Our specialists will diagnose your condition and recommend treatment options so you can enjoy life again with faster and better long-term outcomes. Call our team at 317-924-8636 for a more active, stable lifestyle!