What is knee pain?
Knee pain is a common condition that can affect people of all ages. It may result from injury, overuse, or underlying conditions such as arthritis. Most knee pain is not serious and improves with simple self-care measures.
Common causes
- Injury: Sprains, strains, ligament tears, or cartilage damage
- Overuse: Repetitive activities like running or kneeling
- Osteoarthritis: Thinning of the joint cartilage
- Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: Pain around the kneecap
- Tendinopathy: Thickening of the tendon affecting the ability of the tendon to manage load.
- Bursitis: Inflammation of bursae (a soft tissue that protects tendons from the bone)
Symptoms
- Pain in or around the knee
- Swelling or stiffness
- Reduced movement or difficulty bending the knee
- Clicking or grinding sounds
- Weakness or instability
Self-care and management
1. Rest and activity modification
- Avoid activities that worsen the pain.
- Do not rest completely, gentle movement often helps recovery.
3. Pain relief
- Use over-the-counter painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen.
- Follow dosage instructions carefully.
4. Gentle exercises
- Continue with your usual physical activity as much as possible.
- Walking, swimming, or any gentle impact exercise that you enjoy can be helpful.
When to seek help
- If your knee gives way, causing you to fall over. Contact the GP or self-refer to the MSK service.
- If self-care measures are not helping. Contact your GP or self-refer to the MSK service.
- If your knee locks and you are unable to ‘unlock’ it. Attend the emergency department.
- If pain becomes severe or persistent with redness of the skin and you develop a temperature. Attend your local emergency department (A&E).
Prevention tips
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Warm up before exercise
- Wear appropriate footwear
- Strengthen muscles around the knee and hip
Further support
- MSK Rehabilitation: Tailored exercise programs to improve your joint strength, flexibility and overall MSK health can be developed with you with the aim of improving your day-to-day function.
- Referral to a specialist: For very few cases, surgery may be considered. This depends on the nature of the pain you are experiencing and if this is amenable to intervention.
Your clinician will discuss the pros and cons of each treatment approach with you in detail.