There are different types of knee and ankle injuries. Some knee injuries are the anterior cruciate ligament(ACL), posterior cruciate ligament injury(PCL), collateral ligament injuries, patellar tendinitis, meniscal tears, fractures (patellar fracture, distal femur fractures of the knee, fractures of proximal tibia), dislocation, tendon tears, sprain, and strain… The knee joint is one of the most important joints and more at risk of injury than any other joint because it supports the body’s weight.

The ACL is a common knee injury that usually occurs in sports like basketball and soccer. It can be torn if the leg is over flexed or gets twisted. Massage helps bring blood flow to the knee joint, reduce swelling and promotes joint mobility. Therapy treatment is to increase movement and strength.

Cross friction technique including mild friction on the ligaments in front of the knee, which is a good technique to treat ACL. Other techniques like effleurage, petrissage, myofascial release, trigger point therapy, and cross-fiber friction are good techniques that help with the repair and balance of the knee. Knee massage and passive stretching like flexing and extending the leg are helpful for knee pain. Muscles that should be worked on with knee injury and pain are the quadriceps femoris, hamstring, iliotibial band, gastrocnemius, and popliteus. Overuse and trigger points on the quadriceps muscles can give pain above and below the patella. Stretching’s including isometric stretching and deep tissue techniques helps relieve the tension and pain around the knee.

STR stretching on the tight and shortened hamstrings muscles will help lengthen that muscle and relieve tension from the knee as well as trigger point therapy, petrissage, and compression.  Myofascial release on the iliotibial band helps reduce inflammation and pain. Trigger point and adhesion in the upper half of the gastrocnemius can give pain behind the knee. Trigger point therapy, petrissage, and myofascial release will give pain relief.

With knee injuries, the popliteus gives knee instability and trigger point therapy are helpful. Another knee injury is patellar tendinitis. Is an injury to the tendon that connects the patella to the tibia. Is also known as jumper’s knee. Is most common in athletes that are in sports that involve frequent jumping like basketball and volleyball.

Treatment will be strengthening the muscles around the knee. Also, knee massage and passive stretching which helps reduce the stress of the soft tissue that is damaged from overuse. Some ankle injuries are the footballer’s ankle, ankle sprain, ankle sprain, ankle joint ligament injury, fractures, and ankle dislocation. Ankle sprain is one of the most common ankle injuries. An ankle sprain is the damage to the ligament that is stretched beyond their range of motion. Cross friction massage is used to treat sprained ankles. It helps with the healing process and prevents scar tissue from forming after 5 to 7 days from the ankle being sprained.

No lubricants is needed to have a better feel of the ligament. Starting with light massage around the ankles, calf muscles (soleus and gastrocnemius), and the shin muscles (like tibialis anterior and extensor digitorum longus) are used to help reduce swelling around 3 days after injury.

As the pain goes away, deeper techniques can be used to help loosen the calf and shin muscles and improve range of motion like cross friction. Using the RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) and cryotherapy approach helps reduce inflammation and pain if it is present.

If you suffer from Knee or Ankle Injury,  make an appointment with one of our therapist calling 610.670.1010