If you have fluid surrounding your knee joints, you’re likely to experience pain and swelling that can impact your overall quality of life. Fluid can build up in your knees for a variety of reasons, including a ligament tear or arthritis. But can physical therapy exercises help to reduce fluid in your knee? The answer is yes.
Physical therapy exercises can help address a variety of symptoms, including reduced pain, improved range of motion and more. In this article, we’re here to talk about how exercises can decrease fluid in the knee when they’re done safely and effectively with the guidance of a physical therapist.
How physical therapy exercises help reduce fluid in the knee
When you book an appointment with a physical therapist for fluid in your knee, they’ll design a personalized treatment plan for addressing and alleviating your symptoms. Exercises are a pillar of treatment plans for people with knee issues. They help reduce fluid surrounding the knee in a variety of ways, including:
- Increased blood circulation to the area to accelerate the soft tissue healing process
- Boosting the range of motion that will pump out the fluid as the joint is moved
- Increasing muscle strength surrounding the joint to decrease pressure that may contribute to fluid buildup
Exercises that your physical therapist may guide you through to reduce fluid in the knee
Now that we’ve talked about how exercises decrease fluid in the knee, we’ll discuss a few of the specific exercises that may help. Your physical therapist will determine which exercises will be the most beneficial to you based on the cause of your symptoms, your physical capabilities and your overall wellness goals.
Here are some physical therapy exercises that may help reduce fluid in the knee:
- Knee extension kicks — Circulates fluid in your knee
- Seated chair slide — Improves range of motion by reducing stiffness
- Aquatic therapy — Builds strength and support for knee joints
At Border Therapy Services, we can guide you through exercises that will not only reduce your knee pain and fluid, but also improve the strength, flexibility, mobility and overall function of the area.
Call us or request an appointment today to learn physical therapy exercises that can help reduce fluid in the knee.