Lower Body · Treatment

Knee Pain

Patellofemoral pain, jumper's knee, runner's knee, IT-band friction — knees are our most-treated joint. Milestone-based programmes with weekly re-testing.

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Typical programme

8–14 weeks

Session length

60 min

Recovery rate

93%

Understanding the condition

Knee pain is a load problem, not a fragile joint.

Patellofemoral pain, jumper’s knee, runner’s knee and IT-band friction make the knee our most-treated joint. The knee usually hurts because of what is happening above and below it — the hip, the quad, the foot and the way you absorb load. The knee is just where the bill arrives.

We diagnose the specific pattern, settle the irritated tissue, and then load it deliberately — because tendons and joint surfaces get stronger only through the right kind of stress. Every programme is milestone-based with weekly re-testing, so progress is measured, not guessed.

Image — knee loading and movement screen

Why it happens

The root causes we look for.

Hip & glute weakness

Poor control above the knee lets it cave inward and overload the kneecap.

Sudden training load

Spikes in running or jumping outpace what the tendon can tolerate.

Quad & tendon capacity

An under-strong quadriceps and patellar tendon fatigue and become a pain source.

Foot mechanics

How the foot strikes and rolls changes the forces travelling up to the knee.

Symptoms we treat

Recognise any of these?

Pain going down stairs

Aching after sitting for long periods

Pain after running or cycling

Swelling that comes and goes

Clicking or catching

Feeling of giving way

Our Approach

How we'll actually treat it.

WEEK 1

Find the source

Patellofemoral, meniscal, tendon, or referred? Specific tests, specific answer.

WEEK 2–5

Load tolerance

Pain-modulated loading, manual therapy, taping for short-term relief.

WEEK 5–10

Strength build

Quadriceps, glute and calf strengthening at progressive load.

WEEK 10–14

Return to activity

Running mechanics, jumping protocols, sport-specific drills.

Services Involved

The disciplines we'll combine.

Every programme braids two or three of our core services. Here's the typical pairing for this condition.

Physiotherapy

Hands-on clinical care — the backbone of every programme.

Fitness Training

Strength and conditioning programmed alongside your therapy.

Kinesiology Taping

Proprioceptive support during return-to-sport.

The results

Treatment that actually holds.

Knees respond beautifully to the right loading — the mistake most people make is resting them. With a structured, progressive programme over nine in ten of our knee patients return to running and sport.

93%

Recovery & satisfaction rate

93%

Return to running & sport

8–14 weeks

Typical programme

60 min

Per session

Common questions

Your questions, answered.

Still unsure? Our clinicians answer the questions patients ask most. You can always call the HSR Layout clinic for a straight answer first.

Ask us directly

That pattern is classic for patellofemoral and tendon-related knee pain, where load on the front of the knee outpaces its capacity. The fix is rarely rest — it is targeted strengthening of the hip and quad so the knee can handle the load.

Usually not completely. Most runner's knee improves with modified loading rather than total rest, which tends to deondition the knee further. We will adjust your volume and gait while we build the strength behind the pain.

Most non-traumatic knee pain does not need imaging — a good physical assessment tells us far more about how to treat it. If your knee locked, gave way or swelled suddenly after an injury, that is when a scan becomes useful.

Many patients feel better within a few weeks, but tendon and kneecap problems need a full 8–14 week loading programme to truly resolve and stay resolved. We re-test weekly so you can see the progress objectively.

Very often the knee is the victim and the hip is the cause. Weak or poorly controlled hip muscles let the knee collapse inward under load. Our assessment checks the whole chain, which is why our results last.

Rarely on its own. Shoe changes can help at the margins, but the evidence is much stronger for building strength and managing training load than for finding a 'magic' shoe. We will check your footwear, but the bigger gains come from the loading programme.

Not usually — joints click and pop for all sorts of harmless reasons, and noise alone rarely indicates damage. We pay attention to clicking that comes with pain, swelling or a feeling of giving way, which is a different and more relevant picture.

Often yes, and we frequently use them deliberately — cycling and swimming load the knee with much less impact than running, which makes them useful ways to maintain fitness while we build back your tolerance for higher-impact activity.

Ready to start?

Let's get this handled.

Book a 60-minute assessment with one of our clinicians. You'll leave with a clear diagnosis, a written programme, and a realistic timeline.

Book assessment

What's included:

→ Full movement assessment
→ Diagnosis & root-cause analysis
→ Written programme with milestones
→ Cost & timeline upfront
→ Same-day hands-on treatment if appropriate