Knee pain is one of the most common complaints we see, and for good reason: the knee is a hard-working, weight-bearing joint that we rely on with every step, stair and squat. Pain here can come from the joint itself, the tendons and muscles around it, the cushioning bursae, the ligaments, or even be referred from the hip or lower back. At Back in Action in Penwortham, we care for people across Preston and Lancashire with knee and leg pain, beginning with a careful assessment to work out what is actually going on.
Understanding knee and leg pain
The knee is a large hinge joint where the thigh bone, shin bone and kneecap meet, held together by strong ligaments, cushioned by cartilage, and powered by the muscles of the thigh through their tendons. Around the joint sit several bursae — small fluid-filled sacs that reduce friction. With so many structures involved in bearing load and controlling movement, the knee can become painful in a number of different ways, most of them mechanical rather than signs of serious disease.
This is exactly why a thorough assessment is so valuable. Pain at the front of the knee often involves the kneecap or its tendons, pain on the inner or outer side may point to the ligaments or cartilage, and a knee that aches and stiffens with age frequently involves osteoarthritis. Sometimes the knee is the site of the symptom while the real driver lies at the hip or the foot. Identifying the source is what allows care to be focused where it will genuinely help.
The knee is also unusually dependent on what happens above and below it. Weakness or poor control at the hip, or problems in the foot and ankle, change how the knee is loaded with every step, and these are often important parts of the picture even when the pain is felt squarely in the knee itself.
What knee and leg pain can feel like
Because so many structures can be involved, symptoms vary widely. You might notice:
- Pain at the front of the knee, around or behind the kneecap
- Pain on the inner or outer side of the joint
- Aching and stiffness, particularly after rest or with stairs and squatting
- Swelling, a feeling of the knee giving way, or catching and locking
- A grinding or clicking sensation with movement in some cases
- Pain that is clearly linked to particular activities such as running, kneeling or descending stairs
- Symptoms that vary from day to day, with better and worse spells
The precise location of your pain, and the movements that provoke or ease it, give us important clues about which structures are involved.
Common causes and risk factors
Knee and leg pain has many possible causes, including:
- Wear-and-tear changes such as osteoarthritis of the knee
- Tendon problems such as knee tendonitis
- Irritation of the cushioning bursae, as in knee bursitis
- Ligament and cartilage injuries, including sprains
- Overuse, muscle imbalance, or problems referred from the hip or lower back
Part of our assessment is narrowing down which of these is most relevant for you, so that care can be directed sensibly rather than by guesswork.
When to seek help
Much knee pain settles with the right care and time, but some situations need prompt medical attention. Please seek urgent care if your knee pain follows a significant injury with rapid swelling, if you cannot bear weight or the knee gives way completely, if the knee locks and will not straighten, or if it is hot, swollen and red with a fever, which can suggest infection. You should also see your GP for knee pain that is severe, steadily worsening, or accompanied by feeling generally unwell.
Getting to the right diagnosis
As with the hip, the value we add with knee pain begins with an accurate assessment. The same joint can be the site of quite different problems, and a tendon issue needs a different approach from osteoarthritis, a ligament sprain or pain referred from the hip. Taking the time to work out what is going on — through a careful history and examination — means care can be focused where it genuinely helps, and it often brings reassurance by making sense of symptoms that have been puzzling or worrying.
How chiropractic care can help
Joint, tendon and muscle pain of this kind sits well within the range of problems chiropractors care for. Following a thorough assessment — including the hip, foot and lower back, which all influence the knee — our hands-on, drug-free care may include soft-tissue work, mobilisation of the knee and surrounding joints where movement is restricted, and a graded rehabilitation programme to restore strength and control around the joint.
Because we are a multi-practitioner clinic, we can also draw on physiotherapy, which is often central to lasting improvement in the knee. We will always be honest about what care can realistically offer, and we will recognise when a problem needs imaging or onward referral, arranging it without hesitation.
What to expect at Back in Action
Your first visit is mostly about understanding your pain and where it is coming from. We will take a careful history — how it started, what aggravates it, and how it affects your daily life — and carry out a physical examination of the knee, hip, foot and how you move, including tests of strength, stability and range of movement. We will explain what we have found in plain language and discuss whether chiropractic care is appropriate.
You can read more on our new patients page, with current charges on the fees page. We will be realistic about the likely course of care and review your progress as we go.
Helping yourself: self-care and prevention
There is a lot you can do to support a recovering knee, and gentle, regular movement is usually far better than avoiding activity altogether. Measures that often help include:
- Keeping the knee moving within comfortable limits rather than resting it completely
- Staying generally active — cycling and swimming are often well tolerated
- Building strength in the thigh, hip and buttock muscles, which support and control the knee
- Managing your weight where relevant, since this reduces load on the joint
- Pacing activity to avoid repeated heavy flare-ups while things settle
- Choosing supportive footwear, since the foot influences how the knee is loaded
If you would like advice tailored to you, we can build a safe, progressive exercise and self-care plan around your particular problem.
Related conditions and treatments
Knee and leg pain overlaps with many related problems, and it can help to read about knee tendonitis, knee bursitis, osteoarthritis, ligament sprains and ankle and foot pain. The care we provide draws on approaches such as exercise and rehabilitation and chiropractic manipulation, and may form part of a wider plan alongside our chiropractic and physiotherapy services.
Take the first step
If knee or leg pain is getting in the way of your life, you do not have to simply put up with it. We are happy to talk it through and help you understand your options. You can get in touch to book an appointment, or to ask any questions before your first visit.