How knee pain usually presents
- Pain at the front of the knee with stairs, squatting or sitting for a long time
- Pain on the inside or outside of the knee with running or walking
- Stiffness first thing in the morning or after sitting
- Swelling, clicking or a catching feeling after a twist
- A knee that feels unstable or gives way
Why the knee is often not working alone
The knee sits between the hip and the foot, and it often takes load that one of them isn’t handling. A hip that doesn’t control rotation, or a foot that rolls in, can change how the kneecap tracks and how the joint is loaded. That is why the examination looks at how you squat, step and walk, not just at the knee.
Seek prompt medical assessment if
The knee is hot, red and swollen and you have a fever or feel unwell; you cannot take weight after an injury; the knee locks and won’t straighten; it swells significantly within hours of a twisting injury; or you have calf pain and swelling, particularly after surgery or a long trip.
How we assess it
A first visit runs about 30 minutes: a history of how it started, what provokes it and what you have already tried, then an examination of the knee joint, how the kneecap moves, the ligaments and meniscus where relevant, and how your hip, ankle and lower back are moving and loading.
If the findings suggest a ligament, meniscus or bone injury that needs imaging, an orthopaedic opinion or another practitioner, we will tell you and help you get to the right person.
What care might involve
- Peripheral joint adjustment of the knee, ankle and hip where movement has been lost, using the chiropractic peripheral joint techniques Dr Matthew Schmerl, chiropractor, trained in at Macquarie University
- Adjustment of the lower back and pelvis where they are contributing
- Cold laser therapy (Erchonia) where the area is irritable
- PowerPlate and strengthening for the hip and thigh, progressed as your knee tolerates it
Which of these suits you, if any, depends on what the examination shows. You will be told what is about to happen before it happens, and you decide what goes ahead.
The realistic version
Many knee problems settle with sensible changes to load and targeted strengthening over weeks to months. Some, such as significant ligament or meniscus injuries, need a different pathway, and we would rather tell you that at the first visit.