This page contains knee pain self-help information, written by musculoskeletal physiotherapists. Please read the following information and then use the links at the bottom of the page if you are looking for further information or exercise.
Important Knee Facts – Please Read
Here is a list of the main problems and concerns that we recommend you get checked out by a health professional before commencing self-management exercises. These are called Red Flags and may indicate a more serious problem that requires medical assessment.
Symptoms That Are Present After Trauma
If your symptoms are caused by a recent traumatic incident (e.g. a fall, football tackle) and you have any of the following symptoms:
- Extensive swelling and bruising around your knee/ lower leg
- Severe pain and very limited movement
- Great difficulty in putting weight through your leg
- Not able to straighten knee out
- Joint deformity e.g. kneecap appears in the wrong place
NOTE: If you have an underlying poor bone density (e.g. osteoporosis) smaller amounts of force can cause the problems listed above.
Symptoms Where No Trauma Was Involved
- Significant loss of movement with or without pain
- Redness, heat and swelling of the joint or surrounding area.
- Increasing number of joints that are painful and/or stiff
- Fever and general feeling unwell at same time as knee pain developed.
- Constant pain that does not change with rest or activity
- Significant worsening pain at night with or without night sweats
- Unexplained weight loss and/ or previous history of cancer
- Unexplained lumps and bumps that appear or are changing/ growing
Note: Special attention should be taken if you have a history of long-term steroid/ immunosuppressive drug use, recent joint replacement, surgery or steroid injection. Rheumatoid arthritis or other joint disease. Recent infection, Intravenous drug use or alcohol misuse.
Exercises and advice
Please make sure you have read through the important information about knee pain before proceeding.
Information leaflets/Useful links
- What is Osteoarthritis – NHS Inform (10 min read)
- What is Osteoarthritis – Versus Arthritis (video 3 min watch)
- OA Decision support tool for lower limb Osteoarthritis
- Anterior knee (patellofemoral) Pain (15 min read)
- Cartilage (meniscal) tears information and exercises (10 min read)
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury information and exercises (15 min read)
- NHSGGC leaflet- managing your painful knee (includes exercises- 5 min read)
- NHSGGC leaflet- acute knee exercise booklet (includes exercise- 5 min read)
Exercise videos
Here are some beginner exercises to help you get your knee moving better. You may need to build these exercises up gradually.
You may be uncomfortable when you start doing these exercises – make sure the level of discomfort feels acceptable to you and that it doesn’t take too long to settle once you are finished.
The exercises should get easier the more consistently you manage to practice them and this may allow you to progress to more difficult exercises.
These are self help exercises:
- Try to enjoy the exercises and work at a pace and level that feels safe.
- Please use a common sense approach when deciding which ones to try.
- The exercises listed are not designed as an alternative to professional advice.