Diagnosis is crucial to treating knee pain. The knee takes a lot of force through the joint and has a large range of movement. Although pain may be felt in the knee, it could be referred from the lower back or hip. Knee pain could be caused by the hamstring, quads, adductors or calf muscles being out of balance. The Osteopath will carry out a thorough examination to ascertain the cause of pain.

Common problems in the knee include:

• Meniscus or cartilages irritation/ tear

• Ligament strain or tear

• Fat pad irritation

• Degenerative or inflammatory changes to the joint surfaces

• Patella wear

• Intra articular cysts

Very often it can be a combination of these resulting in pain, inflammation and loss of function. 

Surgery isn't always the best intervention - for example, better tracking of the patella or improved foot mechanics can allow angry soft tissues in the knee to settle down and thus make surgical intervention unnecessary.