How Long Does Physical Therapy Last After a Knee Injury?

Knee Pain Doctor 

Knee Pain Doctor 

Physical therapy is a journey of recovery from a variety of physical ailments that individuals deal with. It takes time to come to full physical ability once again, and sometimes you will never meet that same mark you were once at. Regardless, physical therapy always leaves you in better condition than when you started, as a knee pain doctor from a local center such as Premier Osteoarthritis Centers of Pennsylvania can explain.

How long will that take?

The Duration of Your Therapy as a Whole

During your first appointment with the physical therapist, he or she will assess your situation to determine how long you should be in therapy. Sometimes this is an estimate based on your current knee condition and the duration is adjusted after a certain period of time. In other cases, the physical therapist can tell from the beginning just how many appointments will be needed for you to recover, supposing you complete at-home exercises and make it to every PT appointment.

For very mild knee injuries and physical issues, physical therapy might only endure a couple of months. For more serious issues, you could be going to physical therapy for a year or more. Oftentimes, younger patients will recover more quickly, and that could shorten the amount of time as well.

The Length of Each Therapy Session

You may also wonder how long each therapy session will last so you can plan your time accordingly. As a physical therapy patient, you can expect to spend at least 30 minutes with your therapist, and usually no more than 60 minutes. In rare cases, it may be shorter or longer than this half-hour to hour-long window, but not in most situations. 

Your first therapy session will often consist of getting to know the therapist and helping him or her understand your condition. Some movement tests may be conducted so the therapist can see where you’re currently at. Sometimes this doesn’t take very long and you’ll be out of there in 20 minutes, but sometimes it takes a while and you meet for the entire hour.

Getting in Touch With a Physical Therapist

Physical therapy is a treatment option for someone heading into surgery, someone recovering from surgery, someone with an injury, someone trying to prevent an injury and a wide range of others. If physical therapy is something you’re considering or something that has been ordered by a knee pain doctor it’s time to get started. Get in touch with a physical therapist today so you can start your journey to improved strength and health.