Knee Pain and Stiffness: How Osteopathy Can Help Improve Movement
Knee pain and stiffness can make everyday activities such as walking, squatting, climbing stairs and exercising much more difficult.
Knee discomfort can develop for many different reasons. It may follow an injury, a change in activity or exercise, or develop gradually over time. For some people, symptoms are relatively mild, while for others they can significantly affect their ability to stay active.
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At Balance Osteopathy, we don’t assess the knee in isolation. We consider how the knee works as part of the broader lower-limb movement system, including the hips, ankles and pelvis.
This broader assessment can provide useful information about how you move and help guide an individual treatment and rehabilitation plan.
What can cause knee pain?
Knee pain can have many possible causes.
It may develop following a sporting injury, a sudden increase in training, repetitive activity or a change in your normal level of physical activity. Previous injuries and changes in strength or mobility may also be relevant.
Knee pain may be noticed during activities such as:
- Walking or running
- Squatting
- Climbing or descending stairs
- Getting up from a chair
- Jumping or landing
- Kneeling
- Playing sport
- Exercising at the gym
Some people experience pain around the front of the knee, while others notice symptoms around the inside, outside or back of the knee.
Understanding when and how your symptoms occur is an important part of an assessment.
Why assess the hip and ankle when the knee hurts?
The knee sits between the hip and ankle and works with both joints during many everyday movements.
For example, walking, running, squatting and landing from a jump involve coordinated movement through the hip, knee and ankle.
This doesn’t mean that knee pain is necessarily caused by a problem at the hip or ankle. However, assessing these areas can provide additional information about how your lower limb is functioning.
Your osteopath may therefore look at:
- Hip mobility and strength
- Knee movement
- Ankle mobility
- Pelvic movement
- Single-leg control
- Squatting and stepping movements
- Walking or running mechanics where appropriate
The findings can then help inform treatment and rehabilitation.
How is knee pain assessed?
At Balance Osteopathy, an initial assessment begins with understanding your symptoms, medical history and activity levels.
Your osteopath will discuss what activities aggravate or improve your symptoms and what you are currently able to do.
A physical assessment may then include movements of the knee and surrounding joints, as well as functional tasks relevant to your everyday activities or sport.
The purpose is not simply to find a particular “imbalance.” It is to understand how you currently move and identify factors that may be relevant to your symptoms.
How can osteopathy help knee pain?
Osteopathic care for knee pain can involve hands-on treatment, movement advice and exercise-based rehabilitation.
Depending on your individual presentation, hands-on treatment may be used to improve comfortable movement and address areas of muscular or joint-related restriction.
Exercise can then help develop the strength, mobility and capacity required for your everyday activities.
Your rehabilitation may include:
- Hip and lower-limb strengthening
- Knee-specific exercises
- Balance and coordination exercises
- Mobility work
- Single-leg exercises
- Gradual return to running or sport
- Strategies for managing training load
The appropriate exercises will depend on your symptoms, current capacity and goals.
Knee pain and staying active
One of the biggest challenges with knee pain is finding the right balance between activity and recovery.
You may find that certain activities aggravate your symptoms, leading you to reduce exercise significantly. However, completely avoiding movement isn’t always necessary.
In many cases, activities can be modified while maintaining an appropriate level of physical activity.
For an active person, this might mean temporarily reducing running or jumping while continuing with suitable strength or conditioning exercises.
Rehabilitation can then gradually progress as your capacity improves.
Knee pain when squatting or climbing stairs
Pain during squatting or stair climbing is a common reason people seek assessment.
These movements place different demands on the knee and lower limb and can provide useful information during a functional assessment.
Your osteopath may look at how your hip, knee and ankle move together during these tasks and whether particular movements reproduce your symptoms.
This information can help guide appropriate modifications and exercises.
When should you see an osteopath for knee pain?
Consider seeking professional advice if knee pain or stiffness is affecting your ability to:
- Walk comfortably
- Exercise
- Play sport
- Climb stairs
- Squat
- Work
- Perform everyday activities
An assessment is also worthwhile if symptoms are persistent, repeatedly return or are gradually limiting your activity.
If knee pain follows significant trauma, is associated with substantial swelling or instability, or you are unable to put weight through the leg, medical assessment may be appropriate.
Knee pain treatment in Melbourne
At Balance Osteopathy, we provide individualised osteopathic assessment, treatment and rehabilitation for people experiencing knee pain and movement-related problems in Melbourne.
Our clinic is conveniently located for people from South Melbourne, South Yarra and the St Kilda Road precinct.
Rather than focusing solely on the knee, we assess how the lower limb is functioning as a whole and consider the demands that your work, exercise and lifestyle place on your body.
The goal is to help you move more comfortably, improve function and build confidence in returning to the activities you enjoy.
If knee pain or stiffness is limiting your activity, book an appointment with Balance Osteopathy to discuss your symptoms and treatment options.