Knee Pain
Understanding knee injury, tendon-related symptoms and rehabilitation goals.
Seek medical assessment for severe pain, inability to walk, a deformed or unstable knee, or inability to fully bend or straighten it. Worsening swelling, redness or fever needs prompt review.
Different structures, different problems
The knee includes bones, cartilage, ligaments and tendons. Pain can follow an acute injury or develop with repeated activity. Ligament injury, meniscal problems, kneecap-related symptoms and arthritis are different possibilities; pain location alone cannot confirm the cause.
Tell your clinician whether there was a twist, fall, impact or change in training. Mention a pop, swelling, locking, giving way or difficulty taking weight through the leg.
Patellar tendon pain and jumping
The patellar tendon connects the kneecap to the shinbone and helps transmit the quadriceps muscles’ force. Symptoms in this area may be associated with repeated jumping, running or other loading.
A tendon-related label still requires assessment. The amount and type of activity, the timing of symptoms and physical findings all help guide management. Not every pain below the kneecap is the same condition.
Assessment and investigations
A clinician will consider the injury history and examine movement and function. Some acute injuries need medical imaging or a specialist opinion, while others can be assessed clinically. Ask what a test or scan would change in the treatment plan.
Bring previous operation details, imaging and rehabilitation advice where relevant. A swollen or very painful knee may need review as the presentation changes.
Managing load and rebuilding capacity
A plan may involve reducing aggravating activities and progressing strengthening. It should specify which activities to modify, what can be maintained and how loading will progress.
Discuss the demands you need to regain: stairs, squatting at work, running or jumping, for example. Ask how progress will be measured before returning to more demanding tasks. Exercise selection, medicine advice and any need for surgery depend on the diagnosis and individual circumstances.
Prepare for an assessment
Write down when the problem started, what brings it on, what eases it and what has changed. Bring relevant reports and a medicines list. Describe the activities you want to regain, rather than only giving a pain score.
- What is the working diagnosis, and what remains uncertain?
- What findings would change the plan or need medical review?
- What can I do between appointments?
- How will we measure progress and decide whether to change treatment?
Care in Melbourne’s northern suburbs
For people in Epping, Mill Park, Lalor, Reservoir and surrounding suburbs, the Muscle Joint Bone team can help arrange an appropriate starting appointment. Confirm current services, practitioner availability and any referral or funding requirements.
Sources and further reading
- Northern Spinal: original knee-pain resource
- Healthdirect: knee injuries
- Healthdirect: tendinopathy
General education only. An assessment is needed to determine what applies to you.
