5 reasons you should consider physical therapy for knee bursitis

Knee bursitis is a condition involving the inflammation of the bursae. The bursae are fluid-filled sacs that can be found around the knee joints. These bursae cushion and protect the knee joints. When they become inflamed, they can cause pain, swelling and limited mobility.

Bursitis affects roughly 1 out of 10,000 people per year and can occur in the knees and elbows. It’s usually caused by frequent overuse or pressure, traumatic injury, or infection to the knee. Those who frequently find themselves kneeling, like gardeners, those who play sports, and those with osteoarthritis, are at greater risk of knee bursitis. Fortunately, there are treatments available for those who have developed inflammation in their knee joints. One such treatment is physical therapy. PT can be used to benefit the knees in several ways, which you can read more about below.

What are some of the benefits of going to physical therapy for knee bursitis?

Physical therapy can provide a number of benefits to patients, especially those with knee bursitis:

• Reduced pain and inflammation — Your physical therapist can guide you through gentle exercises to reduce pain and inflammation, and help you learn what movements and activities to avoid. Reduced pain and inflammation can make activities like walking, sitting and standing feel much easier to perform each day.
   
• Better mobility — Another benefit of attending physical therapy for your knee bursitis is improving mobility. Physical therapists can help you become more mobile by guiding you through exercises designed to target the knees. Better mobility allows you to more easily perform activities that have become harder because of your knee bursitis, such as squatting down to grab your dog's food bowl.
   
• Less need for invasive treatments — Going to physical therapy for treatment of your knee bursitis can reduce the need for invasive treatments. Invasive treatments include surgery or corticosteroid injections. If you choose physical therapy to treat your knee bursitis, you’re more likely to see gradual benefits without needing a painful recovery period like you would after a surgery. If you’re someone who enjoys daily walks, physical therapy may be preferred so that you can work your way toward walking more comfortably and avoid any harsh recovery periods. 
   
• Improved strength — Another benefit of physical therapy for your knee bursitis is that it can improve strength. Physical therapists can come up with a personalized treatment plan. This plan can address vulnerabilities that led to your inflammation. Physical therapy can help improve strength around that area to prevent it from occurring in the future. If you’re an athlete, you’ll want to improve your knee strength to help avoid knee inflammation while playing sports in the future.
• Improved balance — Physical therapy treatment for knee bursitis can also improve your balance. If you’re an older adult dealing with inflammation in the knee, you’re probably familiar with how it can affect your walking habits. It may have caused you to limp or wobble, and might even lead to more trips and falls. PT treatment for knee bursitis can improve your balance and walking patterns so that you can walk with more ease. 

What are some of the physical therapy techniques for knee bursitis?

There are several ways that a physical therapist can treat knee bursitis. Some common techniques and methods included in physical therapy for knee bursitis include:

• Functional mobility techniques — Functional mobility techniques involve helping you practice returning to the daily activities you once performed with ease. When bursitis makes using the knees difficult and interrupts daily activities, functional mobility treatment can usually help.
   
• Strengthening exercises — Strengthening exercises are necessary for protecting the joints in the knee. When you build strength in the muscles around the knee, the joints become better cushioned in times of physical stress.
   
• Compression wraps — Your physical therapist may also use compression wraps on your knees. These keep light pressure around your knee joints and protect them from damage. Compression wraps are also useful for reducing inflammation around the area of the knee joint.
   
• Inflammation-reducing exercises — A series of carefully planned exercises have the potential to reduce stiffness and build strength, mobility, and flexibility in the knee while reducing inflammation.

Find effective and affordable care for your knee bursitis from an Alliance PTP partner

Physical therapy can be an effective and affordable way to care for your knee bursitis. You just need the right partner to provide it. 

Alliance Physical Therapy Partners has you covered. We can help you find a PT clinic near you that’s staffed with experienced and caring physical therapists. 

Prefer to meet with a physical therapist virtually? We’ve got you covered there, too. 

Reach out to us today to help you find the best physical therapy for your needs.