Knee pain may be in any area around the knee and may result from many causes such as sports, falls, overuse (eg running or jumping), work demands, general wear and tear, arthritis, or it may be referred from another area of the body (eg. the back).

What are the causes of knee pain?

Knee pain can be separated into 2 categories – acute and chronic.

Acute knee pain (recent sudden onset) often arises from trauma to the knee. This is often in the form of a sports or work injury, or a fall. In this type of knee pain, the structures in the knee become damaged and cause an inflammatory reaction in the knee. Your knee may become very painful, swollen, bruised, and difficult to move or put weight onto. The knee may also feel unstable and you may feel it clicking or clunking. The structures in the knee that may become damaged include:

• Ligaments – these join bone to bone eg. anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
• Meniscus – C-shaped cartilages within the knee
• Tendons – these join muscles to bones eg. patella tendon below your kneecap
• Bursae – fluid-filled sacs which help to cushion the inside of the knee

Chronic knee pain often comes on over a period of time and may or may not be worsening. Factors that may contribute to this type of knee pain include overuse issues such as excessive running or jumping, muscle tightness, arthritis, or pain from poor biomechanics that cause your knee to move incorrectly.

How Precision Physio can help you

Precision Physio can help by assessing your knee pain and working out the cause. Once we know what the cause is we can treat your condition effectively to relieve your pain, get your full movement and strength back, gradually return you to all your normal activities and sport, and prevent the injury from recurring in the future. What does physiotherapy for my knee involve? Physiotherapy will include a combination of hands-on and exercise-based treatment techniques including

• Joint Mobilisations
• Soft tissue massage and releases
• Biomechanical correction (correction of your foot and leg movement patterns)
• Strengthening and Stretching exercises
• Sports-specific strengthening
• Electrotherapy such as ultrasounds, interferential, ice and heat
• Taping

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