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Texas Physical Therapy Specialists Help Patients Avoid Pain and Emotional Toll of Knee Surgery

Recent studies suggest that physical therapy is an effective non-surgical alternative to arthroscopic surgery for osteoarthritis of the knee. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine states that physical therapy, combined with thorough medical management, is just as effective at relieving the pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis of the knee as surgery.

(Austin, TX – January 18, 2011)

Recent studies suggest that physical therapy is an effective non-surgical alternative to arthroscopic surgery for osteoarthritis of the knee. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine in September 2008 found that physical therapy, combined with thorough medical management, is just as effective at relieving the pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis of the knee as surgery. Physical therapists at Texas Physical Therapy Specialists (TexPTS)are using the best and latest medical findings about knee pain to provide patients with effective, non-invasive alternatives to knee surgery.

According to the Mayo Clinic in 2010, “arthroscopy is a procedure for diagnosing and treating joint problems. Arthroscopy allows the surgeon to see inside the joint without having to make a large incision. Surgeons can even repair some types of joint damage during arthroscopy, with surgical instruments inserted through additional small incisions.”

An effective alternative to knee arthroscopy is physical therapy at Texas Physical Therapy Specialists (TexPTS). Physical therapists at TexPTS perform a thorough examination and develop an individualized plan of care that may include exercises designed to help improve motion, such as water walking, swimming, and flexibility exercises. Physical therapy treatment may also include an exercise sequence to restore strength that allows a gradual return to normal activities using exercises that simulate patient’s typical knee stresses.

“This study offers hope and encouragement to persons with osteoarthritis who would like to avoid the pain and emotional toll of surgery,” explained Dr. Robert Wainner, a physical therapy professor at Texas State University, leading musculoskeletal researcher, and therapist/owner at Texas Physical Therapy Specialists (TexPTS) in January 2011. “Too often, the first line of defense is surgery when it need not always be. Physical therapy can be equally effective and should be considered by not only patients themselves, but also the primary care doctors and orthopedists who are treating them.”

According to Dr. Wainner, “Many times knee pain is caused by irregular movement that causes increased stress on the joint. Arthroscopic surgery does little to correct the factors that may be contributing to knee pain. These findings reinforce the need for a comprehensive treatment approach for patients with knee pain.”

Another recent report published in the January 2008 issue of the journal Physical Therapy reviews research on osteoarthritis of the knee from 2000 to 2007. This study finds “high-quality evidence that exercise and weight reduction reduce pain and improve physical function.” Similarly, a study published in the journal Physical Therapy in December 2005 reports that exercise and manual therapy is extremely beneficial for patients with knee osteoarthritis and is instrumental in knee pain relief.

A knee’s tolerance for stressful activities often decreases with age and loss of conditioning. As a result, stresses that would not have caused pain or injury to the knee last year could today. A decrease in levels of activity over a period of time may also contribute to the vulnerability of knees. But there are steps one can take to help prevent injury in order to continue enjoying sports and exercise. Pursuing an exercise program designed by a physical therapist can be one of the best protections from injury.

When physicians refer patients to physical therapy, patients have a choice regarding who they see. Texas Physical Therapy Specialists (TexPTS) invites patients to choose their Austin and San Antonio physical therapists for their needs. To learn more about TexPTS visit TexPTS.com.

About Texas Physical Therapy Specialists: 
Texas Physical Therapy Specialists (TexPTS) is a private physical therapy practice with locations throughout San Antonio, Austin, and Tyler. Known for teaching and training physical therapists all over the U.S., TexPTS physical therapists pride themselves in being spine experts. They deliver hands-on physical therapy based on the newest research to achieve the best results for patients with bad backs, achy joints, wounded hands, and work injuries. Along the way, the TexPTS family has fun and makes friends with their patients (and their pets, their kids, their in-laws, and neighbors….). Perhaps this is why they were voted the Best Private Physical Therapy Practice in the U.S. in 2009 by their peers in the American Physical Therapy Association. For more information visit TexPTS.com or find TexPTS on Facebook.com.

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