Knee pain is one of the most frequent complaints I see in clinic. Whether it’s discomfort walking up stairs, pain when getting up from a chair, or niggles that flare after running or training, sore knees can be frustrating and limit what you enjoy doing.
The truth is, knee pain isn’t always straightforward. Many people try rest, ice or random stretches they’ve found online, but often these don’t fix the underlying issue. Physiotherapy offers a more structured and evidence-informed way to help you understand why your knee hurts and, more importantly, what to do about it.
Why the Knee Can Become Painful
The knee is a complex joint where bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles all work together to allow movement and support your body weight. Knee pain can come from many sources:
- Patellofemoral pain — pain around or behind the kneecap, often linked with movement patterns, muscle weakness or overactivity.
- Tendinopathy — irritation of the tendons that attach muscles to bone, common in runners and jumpers.
- Osteoarthritis — wear and tear of joint cartilage, especially in people over 50 or those with a history of injury.
- Ligament or meniscal injuries — from acute events or gradual overload.
Rather than just treating the “pain,” my goal as a physiotherapist is to work out what structures are irritated and why. That way, we can plan treatment that helps your knee cope better with your activity, not just feels better in the moment.
What We Look at in Assessment
In a physiotherapy session, I start with a thorough assessment. This includes talking through your history and symptoms, when the pain started, what makes it worse or better, and observing how your knee moves.
I’ll look at:
- Strength and control of muscles around the hip, thigh and calf
- How you walk or run
- Joint mobility and alignment
- Any swelling or tenderness
This isn’t just about the knee itself; often issues above or below the joint contribute to pain. A tighter calf or a weak glute muscle, for example, can alter the way the knee tracks during movement.
How Physiotherapy Can Help
Once we’ve worked out what’s contributing to your pain, I tailor a plan to help you build strength, improve movement and reduce symptoms. Typical components include:
Exercise Therapy
Targeted exercises are the backbone of knee rehab. I focus on strengthening the muscles that support the knee — including quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves — and integrating them into movement patterns you use every day. For patellofemoral pain, for instance, improving control of hip and thigh muscles can significantly reduce load on the knee cap during squatting and stair climbing.
Manual Techniques
Hands-on approaches like soft tissue release or gentle joint mobilisation can help ease pain, increase mobility and prepare you for strengthening work.
Movement Retraining
If certain movement patterns (like how you squat or step) are aggravating your knee, we work together to retrain those patterns. The aim is to make everyday tasks easier and less painful.
Activity Modification
I often help people adjust training loads, modify exercise technique and introduce gradual progressions so the knee can adapt without flare-ups.
Throughout treatment, I keep things progressive and specific to your goals, whether that’s getting back to running, walking pain-free or returning to the gym.
When Physiotherapy Works Best
Physiotherapy isn’t a quick fix. Knee pain can have multiple contributing factors, and good results usually come from consistent work over weeks rather than days. But with a targeted plan, many people see meaningful reductions in pain and improvements in function.
If symptoms are severe, sudden or accompanied by significant swelling, locking, giving way or difficulty bearing weight, it’s sensible to get these checked early so we can tailor the approach appropriately.
Take the Next Step With The Woodford Physio
If knee pain is holding you back, whether it’s from sport, work or everyday life, physiotherapy can help you get moving with confidence again. At The Woodford Physio, I work with people of all ages and activity levels to assess, treat and manage knee issues using evidence-based techniques and personalised care.
I offer:
- Musculoskeletal physiotherapy for joint pain and movement problems
- Sports physiotherapy for injury recovery and performance support
- Rehabilitation programs after injury or surgery
- Manual therapy and exercise prescription
- Movement analysis and retraining
If you’d like to understand what might be behind your knee pain and how we can tackle it together, get in touch or book an appointment today. Your first step could be a free 15-minute phone consultation to talk about your goals and how I can support you.