Knee pain is a very common condition with roughly 46% of people suffering from some type of knee pain across all age groups. Since the knee is a pivotal joint in standing, sitting, walking, jumping and running, it is a commonly injured area not only in athletes but the general population. There are a number of different structures that can be injured which cause knee pain including joints, ligaments, cartilage, muscle, tendons and nerves.

Some common causes of knee pain:

• Ligament/meniscal injuries

• Osteoarthritis

• Patellofemoral pain

• Tendinopathies

• Generalised muscle tightness, muscle weakness & imbalance

Physiotherapy for knee pain

Dependent on the condition, the physiotherapy treatment and management will differ. Hence the interview and physical assessment stages of physiotherapy treatment is crucial. After the interview and physical assessment; once the problematic areas have been identified, treatment can include muscle strengthening, muscle lengthening, joint mobilisations, dry needling, soft tissue massage, as well as advice and education regarding individual management.

Things to get started:

• Avoiding movements/activities that cause a large increase in pain both at the time of the movement and within 24 hours after the movement/activity

• Slow and gentle active movement at the knee within pain-free ranges

• Gentle stretching of the quadriceps and hamstrings to relieve some muscle tension

• Soft massage at the quadriceps and hamstrings