Your knee hurts.
But is your knee doing
too much of the work?
Knee pain can make running, stairs, squatting, exercise and even daily activities uncomfortable.
At Yokohama Physio, we assess more than just the painful area. We look at relevant movement, strength and physical demands to develop a rehabilitation plan tailored to you.
When does your knee hurt?
Knee symptoms can appear during different movements. Understanding when they occur is an important part of assessment.
Walking downstairs
Pain around or behind the kneecap when descending stairs or walking downhill.
Squats and lunges
Discomfort when bending the knee under load, during training or everyday activities.
Running and jumping
Knee pain during running, repetitive impact, jumping or landing.
Returning to sport
Knee pain or uncertainty when returning to activity after injury or surgery.
Look beyond the knee. Without overlooking the knee.
Sometimes the knee needs more strength or greater tolerance to loading. Sometimes the way the hip, ankle or foot contributes to movement may matter. The aim is to understand which factors are relevant to your symptoms, rather than assuming every painful knee needs the same exercises.
Why does knee pain keep coming back?
Knee pain can involve different structures, including the patellofemoral joint, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and surrounding tissues.
Symptoms may be influenced by training load, strength, movement patterns, injury history and the demands of your activities.
For example, when assessing pain around the kneecap, we may also examine hip movement, ankle mobility, foot function and how force is managed during squatting, running or stairs.
These factors are not automatically the cause. They are possibilities to investigate based on your individual presentation.
Questions worth asking
- Where exactly is the knee pain?
- Which movements reproduce symptoms?
- Has training or activity load changed?
- What strength and movement limitations are relevant?
- What activities do you want to return to?
We assess the movement, not just the pain.
Your assessment is guided by your symptoms, medical history, physical examination and the movements that matter to your daily life or sport.
Understand your history
We discuss how your knee pain began, previous injuries, treatments, activity levels and personal goals.
Examine relevant factors
We assess the knee itself and, where appropriate, the hips, ankles, feet, strength and functional movement patterns.
Test meaningful changes
We explore appropriate adjustments to movement or loading and check how your symptoms and function respond.
More than just strengthening the quadriceps.
Strengthening can play an important role in knee rehabilitation. But it is only one part of a comprehensive approach.
Hands-on treatment
Where appropriate, manual techniques may help manage symptoms and support active rehabilitation.
Movement modification
Exploring squat, lunge, running or landing strategies that may help you manage symptoms.
Strength and loading
Progressive exercises selected to improve relevant physical capacity, with loading adapted to your tolerance.
Return to activity
A practical rehabilitation plan for stairs, daily activities, running, HYROX or your chosen sport.
When an exercise repeatedly aggravates your knee, simply increasing strength may not be the immediate solution. We consider the exercise, technique, loading and overall clinical picture.
From everyday movement to competitive sport.
We work with people of different ages, abilities and activity levels.
Everyday knee pain
Pain during stairs, walking, standing up and daily movement.
Runners
Running-related knee symptoms, training-load concerns and return to running.
HYROX and gym athletes
Symptoms during lunges, squats, sled work, running and other demanding movements.
Post-surgical rehabilitation
Individual rehabilitation after knee procedures, including ACL reconstruction, in coordination with surgical guidance.
Experience with movement. Attention to the individual.
BHSc Physiotherapy / BSc Sports & Recreation
15+ years of clinical experience
My approach to knee pain is to examine what is happening at the knee and how the individual uses their body during relevant activities.
Whether you want to walk downstairs comfortably, return to running or perform better in sport, treatment should be based on your assessment and your goals.
Learn More About Yuji ↗Questions about knee pain
Why does my knee hurt when walking downstairs?
Walking downstairs places demands on the knee, particularly during controlled bending. Pain around the kneecap can be associated with patellofemoral pain, but other conditions are also possible. Assessment helps identify relevant factors.
Is knee pain always caused by weak quadriceps?
No. Quadriceps weakness may contribute in some cases, but knee pain can also be influenced by tissue sensitivity, training load, injury and other factors. Treatment should be based on individual findings.
Can my hip or ankle affect my knee pain?
Hip and ankle function can influence movement and knee loading in certain activities. However, an unusual movement pattern does not automatically mean it is causing pain. We assess whether these factors are clinically relevant.
Should I stop running if my knee hurts?
Not always. Depending on the condition and severity, adjusting running volume, intensity or technique may be appropriate. Some injuries require greater protection or medical assessment. The right decision depends on your symptoms.
Can physiotherapy help pain around the kneecap?
Physiotherapy can help manage many presentations of patellofemoral pain through education, suitable exercise, loading strategies and activity modification. Treatment is individualised, and results vary.
Can I book if I've had ACL reconstruction?
Yes. We provide individualised post-surgical rehabilitation. Please share your surgical history, current rehabilitation programme and any surgeon instructions.
What happens during my initial consultation?
Your first appointment includes discussion of your symptoms, relevant physical and movement assessment, and treatment or exercise guidance where appropriate.
Significant trauma, a visibly deformed knee, inability to bear weight, or a hot, swollen knee with fever require prompt medical evaluation. Sudden severe swelling, locking or major loss of movement also warrants assessment. This page provides general information and does not replace medical diagnosis.
Let's understand what's happening with your knee.
Whether you're experiencing knee pain during everyday movement, running or sport, start with an individual consultation at Yokohama Physio.
Book Initial Consultation ↗