Knee Pain

Knee pain is the single biggest reason people see an Ethos Health physiotherapist – mainly because unlike many other issues, knee pain occurs consistently across all age groups and activity types.

Kids tend to hurt their knees from the odd bump and scrape, plus a range of overuse injuries. Surgery is very, very rare.

Younger adults (ages 15-35) are in ‘the trauma zone’, combining their adult bodyweight with a huge range of fun but somewhat risky activities like netball, basketball, hockey, all the football codes, snow sports, and late nights out. The risk of overuse injuries remains ever-present, although any surgeries are usually to repair trauma, such as knee reconstructions or patella stabilisation.

Learn More: How to reduce your risk of knee and ankle injury by 50%

Older adults still enjoy many of the athletic activities from their youth, but they tend to turn the intensity down somewhat so knee trauma isn’t as common. Overuse injuries and some wear and tear type problems (especially in people who have gained significant weight) dominate. Surgeries are occasionally trauma-related but mainly to clean up damaged cartilage or other minor structural repair.

Retirees present with wear and tear and arthritic issues, and any surgery tends to move towards the operation of last resort – the total knee replacement.

Learn More: Beginners Guide to Osteoarthritis of the Knee

How can physiotherapy help?

As you can see there’s a huge range in presentations and certainly no one-size-fits-all intervention. We can provide:

• An accurate diagnosis: your injury, any contributing factors, and the most effective management plan
• An exercise-based rehab pathway: pain free movement is usually the best medicine and we know it’s no fun on the sideline
• Clear guidelines (for you, your coach or even your employer) on what to expect and how to successfully pace your recovery in each aspect of your life
• To refer you on to a network of world class specialists if needed – there are some injuries that do require surgery. We liaise with your GP and orthopaedic specialists to ensure you get the best possible result.

For more information, please contact us here or book an online appointment