Knee Pain: When to See a Physio and What Helps

Why Knees Hurt

The knee absorbs a great deal of load every time you walk, climb stairs or get up from a chair. It relies on bone, cartilage, ligaments, tendons and the muscles of the hip and lower leg working together, so pain can come from many places: a twisting injury, gradual wear, overuse, or weakness elsewhere in the leg. That variety is why two people with "knee pain" can need quite different treatment.

What You Can Try First

For mild knee pain after a new activity or a long walk, a short period of relative rest is reasonable: ease off whatever aggravates it, but keep moving within comfort. Complete rest for long periods tends to leave the knee weaker and stiffer. Gentle walking, easy cycling and simple strengthening can all help, and a gradual return to usual activity is usually better than stopping altogether.

If the pain is easing over a week or two, you are probably heading in the right direction.

When It Is Worth Booking a Physio

It is sensible to book an assessment if:

• Your knee pain has lasted more than a couple of weeks without clearly improving
• It keeps coming back, or flares every time you return to exercise
• It followed a twist, a fall or a direct knock
• Your knee gives way, catches or feels unstable
• It is limiting stairs, walking, work or sport
• There is swelling that does not settle

Early assessment often means a simpler recovery, because problems are easier to address before other parts of the leg start compensating.

Warning Signs: When to Seek Urgent Help

Some symptoms need prompt medical attention rather than a routine physiotherapy appointment. Contact your GP, NHS 111 or attend A&E if you:

• Cannot put any weight through the leg after an injury
• Can see an obvious deformity of the knee or lower leg
• Develop rapid, significant swelling after an injury
• Have a hot, red, painful knee with fever or feeling generally unwell
• Have a knee that is locked and will not straighten or bend at all
• Notice numbness, or a cold or discoloured lower leg

What a Physio Assessment Involves

At JW Physio Clinic we start with a detailed conversation about your symptoms, history and goals, then examine the knee and the joints above and below it, including how you stand, squat and walk. Many knee problems can be diagnosed clinically without a scan. If imaging would change your treatment, we will tell you and can arrange onward referral.

What Treatment Usually Looks Like

Treatment is built around the diagnosis, but it commonly combines hands-on therapy to ease pain and stiffness, targeted strengthening of the muscles around the hip and knee, movement and activity advice, and a clear plan for returning to what you enjoy. Many people notice meaningful improvement within a handful of sessions, though ligament, meniscus and post-surgical problems take longer.

Common Causes of Knee Pain

Knee pain has many possible causes, and the pattern of symptoms often points towards the likely source. Commonly seen problems include:

• Pain around or behind the kneecap, often aggravated by stairs, squatting or sitting for long periods
• Meniscus problems, which can cause clicking, catching or locking and pain on twisting
• Ligament injuries, usually after a twist or impact, sometimes with a feeling of giving way
• Tendon irritation below or above the kneecap, often linked to running or jumping
• Osteoarthritis, which tends to cause stiffness, aching and reduced movement
• Pain referred from the hip or lower back

This list is a guide only. A proper assessment is needed to find out what is going on in your knee.

Why Strength and Load Matter

In many cases, the knee is reacting to a change in load: a new sport, a rapid increase in training, extra body weight, or a period of inactivity followed by a burst of activity. The muscles of the hip, thigh and calf help control the knee, so weakness or poor control higher or lower in the leg can contribute. That is why treatment usually looks beyond the knee itself.

Simple Self-Care Checklist

• Reduce, rather than stop, the activities that aggravate it
• Choose supportive footwear and vary surfaces if you run
• Keep gently moving, with short walks and comfortable range-of-movement exercises
• Avoid long periods of sitting with the knee bent
• Increase activity gradually once pain settles

When a Scan Might Be Considered

Many knee problems can be assessed and treated without imaging. A scan may be helpful if there has been a significant injury, if symptoms are not following the expected pattern or if surgery is being considered. We can advise on this and, where appropriate, arrange onward referral, including MRI or ultrasound.

Knee Pain in Runners and Active People

Running can aggravate several knee problems. If you are a runner, a staged return, attention to technique and strength work are usually part of the plan. Our guide to returning to running after injury sets out the principles.

Getting Started

You can book directly with no GP referral. Read more about our approach on our knee pain physiotherapy page, or if you are living with arthritis, see our guide to osteoarthritis of the knee and hip.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Reading

• Osteoarthritis of the Knee and Hip: What Physiotherapy Can (and Can't) Do
• Returning to Running After Injury: A Gait Analysis Guide
• Physiotherapy vs Ultrasound-Guided Injection: Which Do You Need First?

This article is general information and is not a substitute for an individual assessment. If you are worried about your symptoms, speak to a healthcare professional.