Knee Pain

Runner with knee painThe knee has 3 separate joints within it, two of which are clinically important:

  • The tibial-femoral joint which is the main ‘hinge’ joint of the knee
  • The patella-femoral joint which is the articulation between the knee-cap and the femur below

Causes of Knee Pain

Tibial-Femoral joint:

  • Ligament injuries – ACL (anterior Cruciate Ligament) and MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament) injuries are common in contact sports, skiing and even dancing!
  • Arthritis – degenerative change of the knee with increasing age or after trauma is commonplace
  • Cartilage injury – the ‘meniscal’ cartilage particularly on the inner (medial) side of the knee after a twisting or contact injury
  • Muscle strain – of the muscles which support the knee such as hamstrings, calves and quadriceps.

Female runner nursing a knee injuryPatella-Femoral joint:

  • Anterior Knee Pain – caused by malalignment of the knee-cap causing grating of its underside on the thigh bone (femur) below – this causes pain particularly in prolonged sitting and climbing stairs.
  • Patella tendonitis – inflammation of the tendon below the knee cap typically seen in runners, jumpers and endurance sports. A form of this problem seen in children is known as Osgood-Schlatter’s disease.

Treatment

At your first appointment your physiotherapist will take a detailed history of your complaint ascertaining the exact mechanism and aggravating factors of your injury. Detailed examination follows – here at The Village Physios we take a whole body approach to diagnosis:

  • Specific detailed clinical tests to identify the problem
  • You may be asked to walk/run on a treadmill (if able) to assess gait and running style.
  • Examination of the biomechanics of your feet and lower limbs in standing and motion
  • Muscle length testing to highlight imbalances and overactive muscles

A diagnosis will then be discussed with you and a treatment plan outlined – treatment will then start immediately, during that first session.

We can help you

Contact us on 0113 2670576 or tell us about your problem by clicking here.

If we suspect a torn ligament or meniscal cartilage we can refer you directly to experienced and highly reputable knee surgeons.

If the biomechanics of your feet are a causative factor we can refer you directly to our Musculoskeletal Podiatrist (link to Podiatry page at TLC) for the provision of orthotic insoles.

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close