| What We Treat
Knee Pain
Knee pain nobody has put a name to yet? You don’t need a diagnosis before you come in. Working out what’s actually driving it is the first job of the assessment — and it changes everything that follows.
Overview
What’s Actually Causing It?
The knee is a large joint with several distinct structures that can cause pain, and each behaves differently. Where the pain sits, what brings it on, whether it swells, and whether it gives way are the details that separate one cause from another. Most knee pain can be identified accurately from a careful history and examination, without needing a scan first.
Tap an area of the knee, or use the buttons, to see what typically causes pain there.
Anterior Knee Pain
Aching around or behind the kneecap, worse on stairs, squatting, kneeling and after sitting for long periods. Usually a load and capacity issue rather than damage, and highly responsive to a structured strengthening programme.
Symptoms
What Your Physio Will Want to Know
These details do most of the diagnostic work before a hand is laid on your knee:
Exactly Where
Front, inside, outside, or behind — the location narrows the possibilities more than anything else.
Swelling and Its Timing
Immediate swelling after an injury suggests bleeding in the joint; slower swelling over a day suggests something different.
Locking or Catching
A knee that physically won’t straighten, or that catches, points towards something mechanical inside the joint.
Giving Way
True instability on turning is different from the knee buckling because the quadriceps is inhibited by pain.
Stairs, Squatting, Kneeling
Which of these hurt, and whether up or down is worse, is genuinely informative.
How It Started
A single twisting injury, a change in training, or a gradual build-up over months all point in different directions.
Causes & Risk Factors
The Usual Suspects
In a typical clinic week, most undiagnosed knee pain turns out to be one of these:
Patellofemoral Pain
The most common cause of front-of-knee pain across all age groups, and highly responsive to loading.
Knee Osteoarthritis
The most common cause overall in people over 50. Far more treatable than most people expect.
Meniscal Injury
Either a traumatic tear in a younger knee or a degenerative tear in an older one — two quite different problems.
Tendinopathy
Patellar or quadriceps tendon pain, typically following a change in jumping, running or lifting load.
Ligament Injury
Usually from a specific incident, with the MCL the most commonly injured and the ACL the most consequential.
How We Can Help You
Treatment & Management
The first appointment answers the question “what is this, and what will it respond to?” — and then gets straight on with treating it.
What the evidence says
Knee imaging is far less decisive than most people expect. Meniscal tears are present on MRI in around a third of people over 50 with no knee pain at all, and cartilage changes are near-universal with age — so a scan finding doesn’t automatically explain your symptoms.
This is why national guidance favours clinical assessment first, reserving imaging for situations where the result would genuinely change what happens next — a locked knee, a suspected significant ligament injury, or a failed course of good treatment.
When to Seek Help
Red Flags — Don’t Ignore These
Most knee pain is musculoskeletal and safe to treat. These features need medical assessment:
⚠ Seek prompt medical assessment if you notice:
- A hot, red, swollen knee with fever or feeling generally unwell (possible joint infection — seek emergency care)
- Inability to weight-bear after an injury, or an obvious deformity (possible fracture or dislocation)
- A knee locked in a bent position that you cannot straighten
- Calf pain, swelling, warmth or redness, particularly after surgery, immobility or long travel (possible clot — seek same-day assessment)
- Constant, unrelenting night pain unrelated to position, with unexplained weight loss or a history of cancer
These symptoms can point to a cause that needs medical rather than physiotherapy assessment. Please don’t wait for a physiotherapy appointment — contact your GP, call 111, or attend A&E as appropriate.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an MRI first?
Rarely. A careful assessment identifies the pattern in most cases, and scans of painful knees frequently show changes that are just as common in pain-free knees. If imaging would genuinely change the plan, you’ll be told so and helped to arrange it.
Should I rest it?
Complete rest usually backfires. Knees stiffen, quadriceps weaken quickly, and reduced capacity means the same activities hurt more later. The useful approach is modifying what specifically aggravates it while keeping the knee working.
Is running bad for my knees?
No. Long-term studies find recreational runners have lower rates of knee osteoarthritis than sedentary people, not higher. What causes trouble is sudden increases in load rather than running itself.
How long will it take?
It depends entirely on the cause. Patellofemoral pain often improves meaningfully within 6–12 weeks; a significant ligament injury runs on a much longer timeline. Getting the diagnosis right is what allows an honest answer.
Let’s Find Out What’s Actually Going On
One thorough assessment, a clear explanation, and a plan you can start straight away — without needing a diagnosis before you walk through the door.
Book Your Initial AssessmentThis page is for general information only and isn’t a substitute for individual medical advice. If you’re experiencing any of the warning signs above, contact your GP or seek emergency medical care as appropriate.