🤔 What Is It?

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) is pain that comes from the joint between your kneecap (patella) and the thigh bone (femur) — where the kneecap glides in a groove during movement.

When this tracking becomes irritated, overloaded, or poorly controlled, it can lead to:

• Pain at the front or around the kneecap

• Worsens with stairs, squats, running, or sitting for long periods

• Clicking, grinding, or stiffness

• Often no swelling or bruising, but very persistent pain

This condition is sometimes called Runner’s Knee, but also affects:

• Teenagers during growth spurts

• Office workers or students sitting for long periods

• Gym-goers with poor knee or hip control under load

💡 Common Physiotherapy-Related Causes:

• Weak or poorly coordinated glutes, quads, or core

• Poor control of hip and knee alignment during movement (e.g. knee collapsing in)

• Sudden increase in running, squatting, or stairs

• Sitting for long periods with bent knees (e.g. car or desk work)

• Past injuries that reduced confidence, control, or muscle balance

🛠️ What You Can Do:

• ✅ Avoid activities that provoke pain in the short term

• ✅ Begin glute, quad, and core strengthening with proper guidance

• ✅ Improve control during squats, stairs, and single-leg activities

• ✅ Don’t rely solely on taping or braces — treat the cause

• ✅ Seek physio for movement assessment and exercise prescription

👩‍⚕️ How Physio Can Help:

• Diagnose PFPS vs other causes (e.g. tendon, fat pad, meniscus)

• Assess hip, knee, foot, and trunk control

• Rebuild movement patterns to offload the patellofemoral joint

• Reduce pain with hands-on therapy, dry needling, or taping

• Guide progressive return to running, training, and sport

🙋‍♀️ Answers to Common Questions

1. What does PFPS feel like?

• Dull ache or sharp pain at the front of the knee or behind the kneecap

• Worsens with stairs (especially down), squats, running, or sitting long periods

• May feel stiff, clicky, or grind, but usually no swelling or locking

2. Is PFPS a serious injury?
No — it’s very treatable, but often lingers if not addressed properly. The key is correcting how your knee moves and loads, not just resting.

3. Should I stop running or squatting?
Not necessarily — but you may need to modify load and technique. We’ll help you keep moving while reducing irritation.

4. Will a brace or taping help?
Taping can offer short-term relief, but the long-term solution is movement correction and strength.

5. How long will it take to get better?
Most people improve in 4–8 weeks, depending on severity and training consistency.

6. What exercises help PFPS?

• Glute bridges, clamshells, and step-downs

• Wall sits, mini-squats, and tempo control drills

• Core stability and balance work

• Later stages include return to running, lifting, jumping, or sport

🤔 What Is It?

Patellar tendinopathy is an overuse condition where the patellar tendon — the thick band connecting your kneecap to your shinbone — becomes irritated, painful, or degenerated due to repetitive load.

It’s typically caused by:

• Jumping, sprinting, or explosive leg training

• Repetitive deep squatting or heavy leg work

• Sudden increase in training volume, load, or frequency

Symptoms include:

• Pain just below the kneecap, especially with jumping or squatting

• Tenderness to touch over the tendon

• Pain that warms up with activity but returns afterward

• No swelling or locking, but very specific and localised discomfort

💡 Common Physiotherapy-Related Causes:

• Overloading the tendon with poor technique or progression

• Weakness in glutes, calves, or deep quad muscles

• Lack of control or bracing under load

• Training through fatigue without adequate recovery

• Tight quads or poor hip/knee joint mechanics

🛠️ What You Can Do:

• ✅ Stop painful activities temporarily (e.g. jumping, deep squats)

• ✅ Start isometric loading of the tendon to reduce pain

• ✅ Progress to heavy slow strength work under physio guidance

• ✅ Avoid aggressive stretching — it can worsen tendon load

• ✅ Focus on restoring control, strength, and tendon capacity

👩‍⚕️ How Physio Can Help:

• Accurately diagnose tendinopathy vs PFPS or fat pad pain

• Guide progressive loading program to rebuild tendon tolerance

• Correct technique in gym movements and sport drills

• Restore hip, quad, and calf strength symmetry

• Prevent recurrence by managing load, recovery, and tendon health

🙋‍♀️ Answers to Common Questions

1. What does patellar tendinopathy feel like?

• Sharp, localised pain just below the kneecap

• Worse with jumping, landing, or deep squats

• Eases during activity, but flares afterward

• Tender when pressing the tendon with your thumb

2. What’s the difference between this and PFPS?
PFPS is often more generalised, worse with stairs or sitting, and felt around or behind the kneecap. Tendinopathy is below the kneecap, sharp, and activity-specific.

3. Should I stop training completely?
No — we want to keep you active using pain-free ranges and exercises. Isometrics and progressive loading allow you to train through rehab.

4. Will stretching help?
Not much. In some cases, aggressive stretching can increase tendon compression and worsen symptoms. We focus on controlled strengthening.

5. How long does patellar tendinopathy take to heal?
It depends on severity and how long you’ve had it. Expect 6–12 weeks for solid tendon adaptation, but pain reduction starts much sooner with the right plan.

6. What exercises help with patellar tendinopathy?

• Isometric wall sits or Spanish squats to reduce pain

• Heavy slow leg press, split squats, and tempo-controlled squats

• Hip and glute strength to reduce tendon overload

• Later: jump and land training, deceleration drills

🤔 What Is It?

The meniscus is a C-shaped piece of cartilage in each knee that cushions and stabilises the joint. There are two — medial (inner) and lateral (outer) — and they help distribute load during movement.

A meniscus injury can occur due to:

• A twisting motion on a bent knee (e.g. changing direction in sport)

• Deep squatting or heavy loading under fatigue

• Age-related wear or degeneration over time

Symptoms may include:

• Pain along the joint line (usually inner or outer knee)

• Clicking, catching, or locking during movement

• Swelling or stiffness, especially after activity

• Difficulty with deep knee flexion, stairs, or kneeling

💡 Common Physiotherapy-Related Causes:

• Poor hip or foot control, increasing load through the knee

• Weakness in quads, glutes, or calf complex

• Reduced joint mobility or poor squat mechanics

• High impact or torsional sports (e.g. soccer, basketball, AFL)

• Repetitive deep knee flexion under load

🛠️ What You Can Do:

• ✅ Reduce or modify activities that aggravate symptoms (e.g. twisting, kneeling)

• ✅ Begin quads and hip strength training to improve joint control

• ✅ Focus on alignment and load distribution in squats or training

• ✅ Avoid painful deep flexion early on (e.g. full depth squats)

• ✅ See a physio to assess whether surgery is needed — it often isn’t

👩‍⚕️ How Physio Can Help:

• Diagnose the type and location of meniscus irritation or tear

• Differentiate between acute injury and degenerative changes

• Restore range and reduce inflammation with hands-on care

• Build a strength-based rehab plan to offload the knee and reduce symptoms

• Guide return to sport or activity with confidence and control

🙋‍♀️ Answers to Common Questions

1. What does a meniscus injury feel like?

• Pain along the inner or outer joint line

• May feel like something’s catching, clicking, or stuck

• Swells after activity and feels stiff when bending or squatting

• Can make stairs, kneeling, or twisting movements difficult

2. Can I heal a meniscus tear without surgery?
Often yes — especially for degenerative or small tears, conservative management works very well. Rehab can restore function and prevent further damage.

3. How do I know if I need surgery?
If the knee is locked (can’t straighten fully), or pain persists despite quality rehab, an orthopaedic referral may be needed. Physio helps determine the best path forward.

4. Can I still train with a meniscus tear?
Yes — most clients can continue training with modified load and form, especially once pain reduces and control improves.

5. How long does recovery take?
With rehab:

• Minor irritation or degeneration: 2–6 weeks

• Larger or post-surgical tears: 8–12+ weeks
  Recovery depends on symptoms, goals, and consistency.

6. What exercises help meniscus injuries?

• Quad and glute strength (leg press, bridges, step-downs)

• Cycling, split squats, wall sits in early stages

• Progressing to controlled deep knee work and balance drills
  We adjust exercises based on what your knee tolerates well.

🤔 What Is It?

The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is a key stabilising ligament in the knee that helps control forward movement and rotation of the tibia (shin) relative to the femur (thigh).

ACL injuries often occur during:

• Sudden change of direction or pivoting

• Deceleration or awkward landings

• Sports like football, netball, soccer, basketball, skiing

Symptoms include:

• A "pop" or snap at the time of injury

• Immediate swelling and loss of stability

• Ongoing feelings of knee giving way or weakness

• Difficulty with cutting, jumping, or running

In many cases, clients undergo ACL reconstruction surgery — though non-surgical rehab is also a viable path for some.

💡 Common Physiotherapy-Related Causes (or risk factors):

• Poor landing mechanics or cutting technique

• Quad/glute dominance imbalance

• Reduced hip strength and trunk control

• Inadequate pre-season conditioning or fatigue

• Previous ACL injury or insufficient return-to-play rehab

🛠️ What You Can Do:

• ✅ Begin prehab immediately — even before surgery (if planned)

• ✅ Commit to a 9–12+ month progressive rehab program post-op

• ✅ Strengthen the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves

• ✅ Train balance, reaction, landing, and cutting mechanics

• ✅ Follow a structured return-to-play protocol with testing

👩‍⚕️ How Physio Can Help:

• Confirm ACL involvement and refer for scans and orthopaedic opinion

• Provide pre-surgical rehab (prehab) to improve outcomes

• Guide a staged post-op plan: mobility → strength → plyometrics → sport

• Restore knee range of motion, gait, and swelling early

• Rebuild confidence, symmetry, and performance metrics

• Conduct return-to-sport testing (strength, hop tests, movement quality)

🙋‍♀️ Answers to Common Questions

1. What does an ACL tear feel like?

• A pop or giving way feeling at the time of injury

• Rapid swelling and instability, sometimes with little pain

• Ongoing fear of the knee giving way during cutting or turning

2. Can I avoid surgery with an ACL tear?
Possibly — especially for low-demand or non-pivoting sports, or partial tears. A structured non-surgical rehab program can restore excellent function for some individuals.

3. How long does ACL rehab take after surgery?
Return to sport typically takes 9–12+ months, depending on your sport, goals, and rehab progress. Early return increases re-injury risk.

4. What is prehab and why is it important?
Prehab is rehab before surgery. It builds strength, range, and confidence — and leads to better post-op outcomes and faster recovery.

5. Will my knee ever be the same again?
Yes — with quality rehab, many athletes return to their previous level or better. Rehab must be thorough, progressive, and sport-specific.

6. What does ACL rehab involve?

• Early: range of motion, quad control, swelling management

• Mid: strength, balance, gait, cardiovascular conditioning

• Late: plyometrics, agility, cutting, strength symmetry testing

• Final: return-to-sport testing and graded exposure to sport demands

🤔 What Is It?

Your MCL (medial collateral ligament) and LCL (lateral collateral ligament) sit on either side of your knee joint and provide side-to-side stability.

• The MCL is on the inner knee, and is more commonly injured

• The LCL is on the outer knee, and is injured less frequently

These ligaments can become stretched, irritated, or torn due to:

• A valgus (inward) force to the knee (MCL)

• A varus (outward) force to the knee (LCL)

• Sudden twisting or change of direction under load

🩻 Injury Grades:

• Grade 1: Mild stretch or micro-tear

• Grade 2: Partial tear

• Grade 3: Complete tear — may require bracing or surgical consult

💡 Common Physiotherapy-Related Causes:

• Trauma in field sports (e.g. rugby, AFL, netball, soccer)

• Poor knee control or excessive valgus/varus forces

• Weakness in glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves

• Lack of landing control, deceleration skills, or lateral stability

• Footwear or terrain contributing to awkward landings or slips

🛠️ What You Can Do:

• ✅ Use a brace or strapping short-term if unstable

• ✅ Reduce painful load but keep moving within limits

• ✅ Begin early quad, glute, and hamstring rehab

• ✅ Progress back to cutting, lateral steps, and return-to-play drills

• ✅ Get physio advice to determine injury grade and recovery pathway

👩‍⚕️ How Physio Can Help:

• Confirm whether the injury is MCL, LCL, or another structure

• Determine severity (Grade 1–3) and advise on load management

• Reduce swelling and pain using hands-on therapy, taping, and guided mobility

• Rebuild strength and lateral stability with a progressive program

• Guide your return to running, jumping, and change of direction with confidence

• Collaborate with orthopaedic referral if needed for Grade 3 injuries

🙋‍♀️ Answers to Common Questions

1. What does an MCL or LCL injury feel like?

• Sharp or localised pain on either the inner (MCL) or outer (LCL) side of the knee

• May feel unstable or weak, especially with lateral movement

• Swelling and stiffness may develop over a few hours

• Tender when pressing along the joint line or ligament

2. How long does recovery take?

• Grade 1: 1–3 weeks

• Grade 2: 3–6 weeks

• Grade 3: 8–12+ weeks (sometimes longer if bracing or surgical input is needed)
  Early rehab makes a big difference in speeding up healing and return to sport.

3. Do I need a scan?
Not always — physios can often clinically grade the sprain. Imaging (MRI) may be used if the injury is severe or progress is delayed.

4. Can I keep training with an MCL/LCL sprain?
Possibly — depending on the grade. We’ll modify your program to allow safe, progressive movement without stressing the healing tissue.

5. What exercises help with MCL or LCL rehab?

• Quad sets, glute bridges, and hamstring curls early on

• Progress to lunges, step-downs, banded lateral walks, and balance drills

• Agility and sport-specific change-of-direction work in later stages

6. Do I need surgery?
Very rarely — most MCL and LCL injuries heal well with conservative management, unless combined with other structural damage.

🤔 What Is It?

Knee osteoarthritis is a condition where the cartilage in your knee joint gradually wears down, leading to:

• Joint space narrowing

• Changes in bone shape, swelling, or joint stiffness

• Possible development of bone spurs (osteophytes)

Despite these structural changes, pain and function can improve dramatically with strength-based rehab and movement retraining — even without surgery.

Symptoms include:

• Stiffness or aching in the knee, especially after rest

• Pain with stairs, walking, or standing for long periods

• Morning tightness or pain after sitting

• Occasional swelling or grinding/clicking sounds

💡 Common Physiotherapy-Related Causes (or contributing factors):

• Muscle weakness around the quads, glutes, and calves

• Reduced movement and joint stiffness

• Poor load distribution across the joint (e.g. valgus collapse)

• Previous injury (e.g. ACL, meniscus, or trauma)

• Sedentary lifestyle or lack of joint loading

🛠️ What You Can Do:

• ✅ Stay active — movement is medicine for osteoarthritis

• ✅ Build strength in quads, glutes, and core to support your knee

• ✅ Use mobility drills and warm-ups before stairs or long walks

• ✅ Avoid long rest periods or sitting too long without moving

• ✅ See a physio to get a personalised strength and mobility program

👩‍⚕️ How Physio Can Help:

• Confirm the diagnosis and assess joint function and strength

• Relieve symptoms with hands-on therapy and deloading strategies

• Create a progressive exercise plan tailored to your goals

• Improve mobility, confidence, and load tolerance

• Support you before or after joint replacement surgery, if needed

• Help prevent surgery altogether in many cases through guided rehab

🙋‍♀️ Answers to Common Questions

1. What does knee osteoarthritis feel like?

• Deep aching or stiffness, especially after inactivity

• Pain with stairs, walking, or bending the knee

• May grind, click, or feel “tight” at end of range

• Sometimes swells after heavy use or weather changes

2. Is arthritis just a normal part of ageing?
Some joint change is normal with age — but pain and disability are not inevitable. The key is how you load and move, not just what a scan shows.

3. Do I need a knee replacement?
Not always — many people avoid or delay surgery for years with the right strength program. Surgery is a last resort after conservative options have been tried.

4. Can physio really help arthritis?
Yes — in fact, exercise is the first-line treatment for knee OA. It improves pain, function, and quality of life better than medication or injections alone.

5. How long does it take to see improvement?
Most clients feel a difference within 2–4 weeks of consistent rehab. More lasting changes in strength and mobility occur over 8–12+ weeks.

6. What exercises help knee OA?

• Sit-to-stand drills, mini squats, and step-ups

• Stationary bike or elliptical for endurance

• Resistance band work for glutes and quads

• Balance and joint control retraining
  We tailor everything to your pain level, goals, and flare-up history.

🤔 What Is It?

The infrapatellar fat pad, also known as Hoffa’s fat pad, is a soft tissue structure beneath the kneecap that cushions the front of the knee and assists with joint mechanics.

When it becomes irritated, inflamed, or compressed, it can cause:

• Sharp or aching pain just below and slightly to the sides of the kneecap

• Worse pain with knee extension (straightening) or hyperextension

• Discomfort when kneeling or standing with locked knees

• Local swelling or puffiness around the lower patella

Fat pad pain is often misdiagnosed as patellar tendinopathy or PFPS, but responds best to deloading, movement retraining, and gentle strengthening.

💡 Common Physiotherapy-Related Causes:

• Repeated knee hyperextension or locked-leg standing

• Poor landing or lifting technique

• Weak glutes and poor hip/knee control under load

• Kneeling or pressure on the front of the knee

• History of other knee injuries or surgery

🛠️ What You Can Do:

• ✅ Avoid kneeling or standing with knees locked

• ✅ Limit painful range — especially terminal extension

• ✅ Use ice or taping to reduce inflammation in the short term

• ✅ Focus on glute and quad strength with proper alignment

• ✅ Work with a physio to retrain gait, squat, and lunge mechanics

👩‍⚕️ How Physio Can Help:

• Diagnose fat pad impingement vs PFPS or tendon pain

• Deload the joint using offloading techniques, taping, and cueing

• Strengthen supporting muscles and correct biomechanical faults

• Progressively return to full movement without provoking symptoms

• Help you stay active without flaring the fat pad

🙋‍♀️ Answers to Common Questions

1. What does fat pad irritation feel like?

• Sharp or burning pain just below the kneecap, especially with full straightening

• Worse with kneeling, jumping, or standing with hyperextended knees

• Often feels puffy or swollen at the front of the knee

2. What causes fat pad impingement?
Compression of the fat pad between the kneecap and femur — often from overextension, poor technique, or repetitive kneeling.

3. Should I keep training legs?
Yes — but we’ll modify technique and range to avoid flaring the fat pad. You can continue strengthening hips, glutes, and quads with control.

4. Will this go away on its own?
Sometimes — but retraining your movement and reducing compression is the key to long-term relief.

5. What exercises help Hoffa’s syndrome?

• Wall sits, partial squats, and glute bridges (avoiding end-range extension)

• Step-downs and split squats with a vertical shin

• Postural awareness and soft knee landing cues

• Balance and trunk control work to reduce anterior shear on the knee

🤔 What Is It?

Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome (ITBFS) occurs when the IT band — a thick band of connective tissue running along the outside of the thigh — repeatedly rubs over the outer knee bone (lateral femoral condyle).

This causes friction and irritation to the underlying tissue, resulting in:

• Sharp or burning pain on the outer side of the knee

• Pain during or after running, cycling, or hiking downhill

• Discomfort that worsens with increased mileage or hill work

• Pain that starts at a specific distance or time into a run

This condition often develops gradually and becomes predictably triggered by specific distances or activities.

💡 Common Physiotherapy-Related Causes:

• Weakness or poor coordination in glutes, quads, or core

• Excessive hip adduction or internal rotation during gait

• Running with cross-over gait or narrow stance

• Poor control on downhill or deceleration movements

• Sudden increase in training volume or terrain difficulty

🛠️ What You Can Do:

• ✅ Reduce or pause high-impact activities (especially running) temporarily

• ✅ Avoid downhill running or overstriding until symptoms improve

• ✅ Begin glute and hip control exercises to improve movement patterns

• ✅ Use foam rolling for temporary relief — but don’t rely on it alone

• ✅ Seek physio to assess running gait and strength deficits

👩‍⚕️ How Physio Can Help:

• Confirm whether pain is from ITB friction, lateral meniscus, or referred sources

• Identify hip/knee/foot control issues contributing to the overload

• Reduce pain with manual therapy, needling, or deload strategies

• Rebuild control through glute, trunk, and lower limb strengthening

• Advise on return-to-run progressions and gait adjustments

🙋‍♀️ Answers to Common Questions

1. What does ITB syndrome feel like?

• Sharp, burning, or aching pain on the outside of the knee

• Often starts mid-run and worsens as activity continues

• Tender to touch at the bony point just above the outer knee

2. Can I still run with ITB pain?
You may need to modify or reduce your running volume. Most runners return fully with rehab, gait correction, and load management.

3. Should I just stretch the ITB?
Stretching the ITB directly isn’t effective — instead, focus on hip mobility and glute strength to reduce tension and improve control.

4. Is foam rolling helpful?
Foam rolling may reduce symptoms short-term, but the underlying issue is biomechanical control, not tightness alone.

5. What exercises help ITB syndrome?

• Side-lying glute lifts, band walks, and single-leg stability drills

• Step-downs, lateral hops, and trunk control progressions

• Cadence and gait retraining for runners

• Return-to-run plan based on tolerance and form

🤔 What Is It?

Knee bursitis occurs when one of the small fluid-filled sacs (bursae) around the knee becomes inflamed or irritated. Bursae help reduce friction between skin, tendons, and bones — but can become painful with overuse or pressure.

The most common types include:

• Prepatellar bursitis – swelling over the front of the kneecap

• Pes anserine bursitis – pain at the inside of the knee, just below the joint

• Infrapatellar bursitis – swelling below the kneecap, near the tendon

Symptoms include:

• A visible, soft lump or swelling near the knee joint

• Localised tenderness, often worse with kneeling or pressure

• Sometimes warmth or redness if inflamed

• Pain may increase with squatting or kneeling, but not usually with walking or stairs

💡 Common Physiotherapy-Related Causes:

• Repetitive kneeling or direct pressure on the knee

• Poor quad or hamstring flexibility, increasing joint friction

• Muscle weakness or poor control during squats, lunges, or stair descent

• Secondary to overuse injuries or improper biomechanics

• Postural stress or compensations from hip or ankle dysfunction

🛠️ What You Can Do:

• ✅ Avoid kneeling or direct pressure on the knee

• ✅ Use ice and compression to reduce inflammation

• ✅ Start gentle range of motion and strengthening exercises

• ✅ Address strength or movement issues causing overload

• ✅ Wear protective pads if kneeling is unavoidable

👩‍⚕️ How Physio Can Help:

• Identify which bursa is affected and what’s causing the irritation

• Use hands-on therapy to reduce swelling and muscular tension

• Guide a rehab plan to improve quad/glute strength and movement control

• Adjust posture and technique to avoid recurrence

• Collaborate with your GP if anti-inflammatory meds or imaging are required

🙋‍♀️ Answers to Common Questions

1. What does bursitis feel like?

• Localised swelling, pain, or tenderness near the knee

• Worse with kneeling or direct pressure

• Sometimes mild warmth or redness — but no catching or locking

2. Will bursitis go away on its own?
Mild cases may settle with rest and ice, but recurrence is common unless you address the underlying cause (e.g. poor control or posture).

3. Should I keep training legs?
Yes — we’ll modify exercises to avoid pressure and flare-ups, and still build strength and control around the joint.

4. Can I drain the fluid or take medication?
Drainage is only needed if swelling is severe or persistent. Most cases improve with rehab and load management. A GP may prescribe anti-inflammatories if needed.

5. What exercises help with knee bursitis?

• Quad and glute strength work (bridges, step-ups, side planks)

• Mobility and balance drills to reduce friction or overload

• Movements done in ranges and positions that don’t compress the bursa

• Gradual return to kneeling or deeper flexion once pain settles

🤔 What Is It?

Not all knee pain comes from the knee itself. Sometimes the source is referred from the hip or lumbar spine, especially if:

• There’s no history of trauma to the knee

• Pain is vague, shifting, or doesn’t respond to local treatment

• There are symptoms like stiff hips, tight glutes, or low back discomfort

Common examples:

• L3–L4 nerve referral from the lower back → pain to the front of the knee

• Hip joint stiffness → altered loading mechanics at the knee

• Gluteal or pelvic dysfunction → overload through the quad/knee region

💡 Common Physiotherapy-Related Causes:

• Poor hip mobility or control, increasing stress on the knee

• Referred pain from lumbar discs, facets, or nerves

• Weak or poorly coordinated glutes, trunk, or pelvic stabilisers

• Previous back or hip injury changing how the leg moves

• Gait issues or movement compensations

🛠️ What You Can Do:

• ✅ Get a full assessment — not just of the knee, but the whole kinetic chain

• ✅ Don’t over-stretch or load the knee if the issue isn’t local

• ✅ Work on hip mobility, glute strength, and spinal movement

• ✅ Use postural and gait corrections to improve load transfer

• ✅ Let your physio guide diagnosis and treatment — referral pain can be subtle

👩‍⚕️ How Physio Can Help:

• Determine if pain is knee-specific or referred from elsewhere

• Use hands-on testing to assess hip, pelvis, and spine involvement

• Mobilise stiff areas, release tight tissue, and improve movement control

• Rebuild proper load-sharing across the leg and trunk

• Help reduce fear and frustration with a clear, functional plan

🙋‍♀️ Answers to Common Questions

1. What does referred knee pain feel like?

• Often dull, diffuse, or hard to pinpoint

• May feel deeper in the joint, or move from front to side

• Doesn’t improve with knee-specific stretches or rehab alone

2. Why does my knee hurt if I haven’t injured it?
It could be related to movement compensations, nerve referral, or hip control issues — all of which can load the knee abnormally.

3. Can physio figure this out without a scan?
Yes — a skilled physio can often identify referral patterns through testing, movement analysis, and symptom response.

4. Do I still need to treat my knee?
Not directly — once the source of referral is managed (e.g. back or hip), the knee often settles. We’ll also address any secondary effects like weakness or guarding.

5. What exercises help with referred knee pain?

• Core and glute strength (bridges, clams, side planks)

• Hip mobility drills

• Trunk control and spinal movement exercises

• Gait retraining or posture work if needed