Knee pain.
What is causing your knee pain?
Knee pain is a common musculoskeletal complaint that may arise from a multitude of causes. Injuries to the knee itself, as well as the hip, ankle or foot may be the cause, or it may indicate an underlying condition such as gout, arthritis or other structural reason. Pain may start suddenly or develop slowly over years.
Getting the diagnosis right matters enormously for knee pain. The treatment for patellofemoral pain is quite different from that for a meniscal tear, which differs again from knee osteoarthritis or an ACL injury. A thorough clinical assessment — not just imaging — is the most important first step.
Common causes of knee pain
How is knee pain diagnosed?
A physiotherapy assessment evaluates the likely pain source through specific provocation and stability tests, strength and movement assessment, and functional analysis. Common specific tests identify what treatment plan is going to help the most. Imaging — X-ray for bony pathology, MRI for soft tissue — is not always required and must be interpreted in the clinical context, as degenerative changes and incidental findings are common.
How can physiotherapy help?
Physiotherapists can help with taping, braces and most importantly exercises to regain strength, and even in cases of surgery can be incredibly beneficial in providing prehab — exercises pre-surgery to help gain the best outcome — and rehab post-surgery.
The rehabilitation approach is specific to the diagnosis. Quadriceps and VMO retraining is central to most anterior knee pain presentations. Hip abductor and gluteal strengthening addresses the proximal contributors to knee loading patterns that are consistently involved in patellofemoral pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and ACL injury risk. Proprioception and neuromuscular control training is essential after any ligament injury. Progressive tendon loading is the evidence-based approach for patellar tendinopathy.
Real time ultrasound assists in retraining VMO and deep hip stabiliser activation. Clinical Pilates provides a controlled environment for progressive knee and hip strengthening with precise load adjustment. Dry needling assists with pain management and muscle guarding in the acute and subacute phases.
For patients whose knee condition arose from a workplace or motor vehicle injury, WorkCover and CTP funded physiotherapy is available.
Our physiotherapists Eliane Machado, Bethany Kippen and Emma Cameron all have experience in knee conditions and are members of the Australian Physiotherapy Association. Eliane's doctoral research in knee biomechanics is directly relevant to the movement analysis and rehabilitation planning that produces the best outcomes across all knee presentations.
To book or find out more, call us on 07 3706 3407 or book online below. We see patients from across Brisbane's southside including Tarragindi, Coorparoo, Holland Park, Greenslopes and Mt Gravatt.
Knee pain is a common musculoskeletal complaint that may arise from a multitude of causes. Injuries to the knee itself, as well as the hip, ankle or foot may be the cause, or it may indicate an underlying condition such as gout, arthritis or other structural reason. Pain may start suddenly or develop slowly over years.
Getting the diagnosis right matters enormously for knee pain. The treatment for patellofemoral pain is quite different from that for a meniscal tear, which differs again from knee osteoarthritis or an ACL injury. A thorough clinical assessment — not just imaging — is the most important first step.
Common causes of knee pain
- Ligament injuries — the knee is stabilised by four main ligaments, each with distinct injury patterns and management approaches. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the most surgically significant, typically injured from pivoting and cutting in sport, carrying high re-injury risk if not fully rehabilitated. The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is the most commonly sprained knee ligament and heals well without surgery in most cases. The lateral collateral ligament (LCL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) each have their own distinct management considerations.
- Meniscal injuries — the medial and lateral menisci act as shock absorbers and secondary knee stabilisers. Meniscal tears produce pain, swelling, clicking, locking and giving way. The management decision — conservative physiotherapy versus surgical repair or partial meniscectomy — depends on tear type, location, patient age and activity demands.
- Patellofemoral pain syndrome — diffuse pain around the kneecap with activities like squatting, stairs and prolonged sitting — is one of the most common knee presentations in runners, cyclists and adolescents. It responds very well to physiotherapy targeting VMO activation, hip strengthening and movement pattern correction.
- Chondromalacia patella — softening and breakdown of the patellar cartilage from abnormal mechanics — produces anterior knee pain and crepitus (clicking or grinding). Management overlaps significantly with patellofemoral pain but requires specific attention to cartilage loading principles.
- Knee osteoarthritis — degenerative breakdown of the articular cartilage — is the most common knee condition in adults over 50 and the leading indication for total knee replacement. Exercise and physiotherapy are among the most evidence-based treatments, with structured programs producing meaningful and sustained pain reduction without accelerating joint degeneration.
- Patellar tendinopathy — degeneration of the patellar tendon from repetitive jumping and loading — is common in basketball, volleyball, netball and football players. Heavy slow resistance loading and eccentric exercise are the cornerstones of management.
- Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) — lateral knee pain from ITB friction over the lateral femoral condyle during running — is the most common cause of lateral knee pain in distance runners. Load management, hip abductor strengthening and running mechanics analysis are the primary interventions.
- Knee bursitis — inflammation of the bursae around the knee from repetitive kneeling, direct trauma or infection — produces localised swelling and pain at the affected site.
- Knee gout — uric acid crystal deposition in the knee joint — produces acute episodes of severe pain, warmth and swelling requiring medical management alongside physiotherapy.
- Growth-related conditions in adolescents — including Osgood-Schlatter disease, Sinding-Larsen-Johansson syndrome and knee hypermobility — are common presentations in young athletes during growth spurts and respond well to physiotherapy and load management.
How is knee pain diagnosed?
A physiotherapy assessment evaluates the likely pain source through specific provocation and stability tests, strength and movement assessment, and functional analysis. Common specific tests identify what treatment plan is going to help the most. Imaging — X-ray for bony pathology, MRI for soft tissue — is not always required and must be interpreted in the clinical context, as degenerative changes and incidental findings are common.
How can physiotherapy help?
Physiotherapists can help with taping, braces and most importantly exercises to regain strength, and even in cases of surgery can be incredibly beneficial in providing prehab — exercises pre-surgery to help gain the best outcome — and rehab post-surgery.
The rehabilitation approach is specific to the diagnosis. Quadriceps and VMO retraining is central to most anterior knee pain presentations. Hip abductor and gluteal strengthening addresses the proximal contributors to knee loading patterns that are consistently involved in patellofemoral pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and ACL injury risk. Proprioception and neuromuscular control training is essential after any ligament injury. Progressive tendon loading is the evidence-based approach for patellar tendinopathy.
Real time ultrasound assists in retraining VMO and deep hip stabiliser activation. Clinical Pilates provides a controlled environment for progressive knee and hip strengthening with precise load adjustment. Dry needling assists with pain management and muscle guarding in the acute and subacute phases.
For patients whose knee condition arose from a workplace or motor vehicle injury, WorkCover and CTP funded physiotherapy is available.
Our physiotherapists Eliane Machado, Bethany Kippen and Emma Cameron all have experience in knee conditions and are members of the Australian Physiotherapy Association. Eliane's doctoral research in knee biomechanics is directly relevant to the movement analysis and rehabilitation planning that produces the best outcomes across all knee presentations.
To book or find out more, call us on 07 3706 3407 or book online below. We see patients from across Brisbane's southside including Tarragindi, Coorparoo, Holland Park, Greenslopes and Mt Gravatt.
