Suffering Knee Pain?
If you are suffering Knee Pain with squatting, stairs or running, swelling, restricted movement, feelings of ‘giving way’, ‘catching’ or ‘locking up’ are common signs of a knee injury.
Knee pain is one of the more common injuries or complaints we see at City Physio! The knee is a complex joint comprised of 4 bones- the patella (kneecap), the thigh bone (femur) and the 2 shin bones (tibia and fibula). Strong ligaments hold these bones together creating stability and shock-absorbing cartilage (meniscus) sits between the tibia and fibula to cushion the surfaces. These structures are then overlayed with muscles and tendons that ensure the stable and efficient movement of the knee for walking, stairs and playing sport!
Knee Pain Causes
Knee pain usually occurs in two ways- as a result of an acute injury or something that creeps up over time without a single mechanism.
Acute knee injuries are very common occurrence in sport and can also happen as a result of a fall, sudden twist or awkward step. Acute injuries of the knee usually involve sprains, strains and even fractures of the knee bones. An acute injury of the knee usually presents with swelling and pain immediately and may cause difficulty in straightening or bending the knee, click, catch or lock or feel like the knee may give way, problems with climbing stairs or even putting weight on the knee to walk. Acute knee injuries require an in-depth assessment by a physiotherapist to determine the specific structures that have been injured and to what extent they are damaged. Your physiotherapist can also recommend specific scanning if necessary.
Knee injuries and pain can also creep up over time without a single mechanism. For example, you may notice knee pain after sitting for a prolonged period, pain with exercise such as running or squatting or increasing pain over days or months. Your physiotherapist will do a full subjective and objective assessment of your knee considering a wide range of factors including referred pain from the low back or pelvis, the mechanics of the whole lower limb, strength and balance of the muscles surrounding the hip and knee, squat technique, motor control and biomechanical analysis
Common knee injuries we treat include:
- ACL repairs and rehab
- ITB Pain
- Knee arthroscopy
- MCL and LCL injuries
- Meniscal/ cartilage tears
- Osteoarthritis
- Kneecap Pain
- Knee pain with running
- Jumper’s knee
- Patella tendonitis