Why We Started the Knee Program [And What It’s All About]

The Knee Program.

It’s something that we’re incredibly proud of. And for good reason.

It’s a program that has been in development for over 10 years now. With constant improvement based on real patient feedback and regular professional development across the latest evidence (see our comprehensive research in action in this article series), we know that what we offer is unlike anything else that exists.

And the best thing is that it’s constantly evolving. This evolution is based on the idea of ‘value-based healthcare’. Essentially it’s a model of healthcare that puts the result of the patient and the costs associated with that result at the front and centre of the intervention. This is much easier said than done. As such the methodology and expansive networks with have developed for our Knee Program, didn’t happen overnight. We can confidently say that we are the only comprehensive musculoskeletal exercise-based intervention that is directly partnered with a musculoskeletal medicine clinic. This means that we get the absolute best advice when it comes to utilising the most appropriate intervention whenever we need it. It also means that we have to be very diligent with ensuring we get the best result possible, making sure our assessment process is absolutely down pat. It’s impossible to work in conjunction with medical professionals without being completely on the ball with objectively assessing every single patient and analysing the results.

Which is great, because it only speeds up our evolution of service delivery that gets the best result possible!

How did the Knee Program Come About?

• There was not enough time for our clinicians to see people as often as they needed in order for them to make lasting changes in their patients (this is a common problem industry-wide, which if you have been to a physiotherapist in the past will definitely have experienced)
• We were seeing too many people who have been through years and years of circular treatment seeing their Physio/ Chiro/ Osteo /GP for pain management but never being guided right through the process to actually learn how to take control of their treatment. All of these professionals only had the time and capacity to focus on symptom management (not actually addressing the causes).
• This ultimately lead to us developing to program out of sheer desperation toward wanting to make real impact on peoples lives by giving them the knowledge and capacity to take control of their condition.

How does the Knee Program Work?

The Knee Program is an effective first-line intervention for the treatment of knee pain and associated conditions such as Osteoarthritis. These lines of treatment ascend in order of costs/ invasiveness of the intervention. As such the knee program addresses the most cost-effective interventions that have been clinically proven to improve knee pain and osteoarthritic condition via the pillars of Education, Exercise & Weight Control.

Our 3 pillars involve a comprehensive look at all of the factors involved, going deeper than any other intervention on the market. As such, the Knee Program is a premium service that is designed to be truly world-class when it comes to first order interventions. Our aim with establishing the Knee Program is to give the patient 100% confidence that they have done absolutely everything that they possibly can when it comes to conservative management and first-order interventions.

The 3 Pillars in more detail

1. Education requires not only a focus on the information itself but also a consideration of where the patient is currently at in terms of their knowledge and beliefs. Often an effective education strategy will require a patient-centred approach aimed at behaviour change through shifting their beliefs. For patients that are suffering quite severely from OA, this can be incredibly challenging, as it required a lot of buy-in from the patient. Our program addresses this by not only presenting the information but using the exercise interventions to show the patient this information in action. Throughout the course of the program, the patient will be constantly reminded of this information in order to ensure their beliefs are shifted to those that foster empowerment over their condition.
2. Weight Control is a challenge, as it is incredibly behaviourally driven. There are a whole host of factors that will impact on someones ability to maintain a healthy weight, with exercise only being a small part of this equation. Ideally, the patient needs to make a shift in behaviour patterns reflecting new skills that have been learnt in order for them to maintain a healthy weight for life. When done effectively, this can have huge impacts on someone’s condition. We address this through a partnership with a program that is 100% free for patients in participating health funds. This program is clinically proven to elicit lasting changes in body mass and can is run concurrently with our Knee Program.
3. Specialised Exercise is something that is going to be different for every person who suffers from OA. There is a huge difference in different forms of exercise, yet in the research, it is typically only classified as ‘land-based’ or ‘aquatic’. Within the category of land-based exercise, there are millions of different options about what can be done. For someone with OA, an effective exercise program requires a fundamental understanding of human physiology, as well as experience working with people who have a similar condition. If these parameters are not followed, the patient risks have a negative experience with exercise, which can ultimately make their condition worse. We use our years of clinical expertise and study to make sure this factor is addressed. Every practitioner that takes the Knee Program is university qualified and trained to the highest standard of exercise delivery. A large part of this exercise delivery is the facilitation of the education component through what we call ‘exploratory movement’. This is aimed at addressing belief patterns that may be contributing to the worsening of the patient’s condition.

 

The Spectrum of Human Function

To ensure that we are able to work with patients across all level of function, we use our comprehensive assessment battery to place patients into one of the following 8 levels below. These are the considerations for the type of intervention that is recommended for the patient. The other huge part of our program is focusing on the individual goals of the patient. Because our programs are truly individualised we are able to provide each person with a completely individualised program that suits their unique activity goals, as well as their rehabilitation needs. This is part of our focus on patient-centred treatment that is focused on empowerment.

 

To Get Started Today With The Best Way To Combat Your Knee Pain Click HERE!