How virtual therapy can help with knee pain going down stairs

Stairs are something that most people view as a way to get from one floor to another. Others view them as a way to improve their physical fitness. However, a third option is that stairs might be a source of knee pain when you go down them. 

Unfortunately, it’s all too likely that you could develop knee pain during such a normal daily activity — medical studies report that about 33% of Americans end up experiencing knee pain in their lifetime. Virtual physical therapy, or virtual PT, is an option that can help people who feel knee pain when going down stairs. 

Three ways a virtual physical therapist can help with knee pain when going down stairs

Virtual PT is a type of physical therapy where you work with a therapist online, and you’re typically connected via a secure video feed. A virtual PT session can help you treat many different forms of pain. This includes pain in your knee when you’re walking down the stairs. Three of the ways a virtual therapist can help with this type of pain include: 

1. Diagnosing its cause — A virtual therapy specialist can evaluate your knee to determine why you’re in pain. They can ask you to perform certain movement tests. Your therapist may also ask you questions about the severity and location of your knee pain. This evaluation can help them pinpoint issues that could be causing your pain such as:

• Patellofemoral pain syndrome
• Knee osteoarthritis
• Meniscus tears

2. Imparting movement tips — Your virtual therapist can offer tips to help reduce your pain while going down stairs. For one thing, they may recommend using a cane or crutch to take pressure off the painful leg. Your therapist could also suggest placing both feet on a step before moving to the next step. Using the handrails to support some of your weight may be another tip your therapist recommends. 

3. Revealing therapeutic exercises — Knees that are well supported tend to be less painful. The primary support for your knee comes from muscles in the thighs and calves, and your therapist can show you therapeutic exercises to strengthen these muscles. Such strengthening can allow your knee to feel better supported and less painful while descending stairs. 

Get help for knee pain when going down stairs from Agile Virtual PT

Are you fed up with feeling knee pain every time you go down some stairs? Our team at Agile Virtual PT sympathizes, and we’re ready to help you find ways to reduce your pain. Our certified physical therapists can perform a virtual evaluation of your knee to pinpoint the cause of your pain. We can then create an individualized therapy plan for you that’s designed to reduce your pain and prevent it from coming back. 

Contact our team today for more information about our knee pain treatment services or to schedule an initial appointment.