Condition
Knee Pain
From runner's knee and patellar tendinopathy to meniscus and ligament injuries. Assessment first, then a plan that fits the cause.
Symptoms
Knee pain shows up differently depending on what’s involved:
- Pain at the front of the knee, worse on stairs or after sitting (patellofemoral, runner’s knee)
- Pain at the kneecap tendon with jumping or squatting (patellar tendinopathy)
- Sharp pain with twisting motions, sometimes catching or locking (meniscus)
- Instability or a feeling of giving way (ligament involvement, often ACL or MCL)
- Diffuse ache that worsens with activity (early osteoarthritis)
How we treat it
The assessment narrows down which structures are involved and what kind of plan fits. Most knee pain responds to a combination of manual therapy, targeted strengthening (quadriceps, glutes, hip and ankle control), and activity modification while symptoms settle. Surgical referral is reserved for clear ligament tears in active patients, locked menisci, or osteoarthritis that hasn’t responded to conservative care.