When can I get back to sport following knee injuries?
Updated: Jul 8, 2021
Does your knee pain affect your ability to play your chosen sport or perform your daily activities?
Has your pain reduced your passion to keep active?
Physiotherapists at WA Health Group can provide professional advice, targeted rehabilitation and effective treatment to get you back on track.
To give you the correct advice first let's explore the types of knee injuries because not all injuries are the same.
Your knee is designed similar to a door. ACL, menisci and many other ligaments stabilise the knee joint just like the hinges and screws in the door.
Direct trauma, twisting and falling are common injury mechanisms leading to acute ligamentous sprains and tears. Overuse type knee pain can also be caused by overloading and continuously stressing the tissues around the knee.
So you have done some rehab with your physiotherapist after the injury, but how do you know when it is time to go back to sport?
This is highly dependent on the type and severity of the injury as well as the rate at which your recovery occurs. For every type of knee injury, returning to sport too soon will delay the healing process and increase the risk of re-injury.
It is important to train both knees so you can return to activity at the same level as before with no pain and no further injury.
Your physiotherapist will develop an exercise program suitable for your needs in preparation to returning to sport. With access to fully equipped gym, you will be able to retrain the muscles that have become weak since the injury.
You may still require additional support to your knee during sport activities. Your physiotherapist will instruct you on how to tape your knee or fit you with a knee brace if it is required.
Book your next appointment at WA Health Group for smart management of your knee injury and get back to to doing what you enjoy as soon as possible.
The contents of this blog was authored by Rosa Lee, Second Year Physiotherapy Student at Curtin University.
