Knee Pain

The knee is usually where the problem ends up, not where it starts.

Knee pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal complaints across all age groups. It covers a wide range of presentations — patellofemoral pain, osteoarthritis, meniscal irritation, ligament strain, IT band syndrome, patellar tendinopathy and referred pain from the hip or lumbar spine.

What these presentations often share is that the knee itself is not the origin of the problem. The knee is caught between the hip above and the foot and ankle below — and how load is distributed through those regions has a direct bearing on how the knee functions and whether it stays irritated.

What's usually driving it

Restricted hip mobility and weak glute function are among the most common drivers of knee pain. When the hip can't absorb load effectively, the knee compensates — and over time that compensation produces pain. Similarly, foot pronation, ankle stiffness and altered gait mechanics all affect knee loading patterns in ways that are often the primary driver of knee symptoms.

In older adults, knee osteoarthritis is frequently over-attributed as a cause of pain relative to the actual structural findings on imaging. Research consistently shows that the correlation between scan findings and pain is weak — many people with significant arthritic change have no pain, and many people with significant pain have minimal arthritic change. Function and load management matter more than the scan.

How Dr Chase approaches it

Assessment covers the knee joint, the surrounding soft tissue, the patella tracking mechanics, the hip and pelvis, and the foot and ankle. Understanding where in the kinetic chain the load problem is originating is more important than treating the knee in isolation.

Treatment draws from knee and hip joint mobilisation, myofascial release, patellar mobilisation where relevant, and targeted rehabilitation guidance to address the hip strength and movement patterns that are typically contributing. For people with knee osteoarthritis, the focus is on restoring function, managing load and improving quality of movement — which consistently produces meaningful improvement regardless of what the scan shows.

Knee pain that keeps returning is usually a sign that the underlying load problem hasn't been resolved. Getting that properly assessed makes a significant difference to long-term outcomes.