Faculty Advisor(s)

Michael Fillyaw

Document Type

Course Paper

Publication Date

12-24-2016

Rights

© 2016 Mohamed Elsaid

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Knee pain affects a large number of adults, and as a result limits their functional mobility and may induce participation restrictions. A number of risk factors may contribute to knee pain, with osteoarthritis (OA) being the most prevalent cause. The rate of knee replacement surgery among individuals 65 and older has increased significantly over the years. Physical therapy (PT) is a non-surgical option that offers individuals relief of their knee pain. Case Description: The patient was a 48-year-old Caucasian female referred to physical therapy with chronic right knee pain. She received PT twice a week for eight weeks for strengthening, increasing range of motion (ROM), improving stair climbing, improving gait pattern, application of Kinesiotape (KT), and manual therapy to improve joint mobility. Outcomes: Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) scores improved from 42/80 to 60/80, Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) improved from 4/10 to 2/10. At the time of discharge, the patient exhibited increased strength of right knee extension and flexion of 5/5, increased right knee range of motion (ROM) to 115 degrees, and the ability to bend down without pain. Discussion: Chronic knee pain can be debilitating and contribute to impaired functional mobility and participation restrictions. This case report demonstrated that a combination of therapeutic exercises, manual therapy, KT, and home exercise program decreased knee pain, increased strength, and ROM. Limited literature is available on the long term effects smoking contributes to cartilage damage among females. Further research is recommended to examine the correlation between smoking and chronic pain among females.

Comments

The case report poster for this paper can be found here:

http://dune.une.edu/pt_studcrposter/95

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.