The knee problems people come to us with
Knee pain is not one thing. Where it hurts, what sets it off and how it started all point in different directions, which is why the first appointment is spent finding out which of these it is, or whether it is something else.
Pain at the front of the knee
Around or behind the kneecap. Often worse on stairs, when squatting, kneeling, running downhill, or after sitting for a long time with the knee bent. You may hear it called anterior knee pain or patellofemoral pain. Sometimes a fold in the knee’s lining, called a plica, is the part that has become irritated.
Stiff, aching knees that have built up over time
Stiffness first thing in the morning or after resting, an ache after walking, sometimes swelling or a grating feeling. Often put down to osteoarthritis or “wear and tear”. That label is where many people stop being offered anything. It should not be.
A twist, a knock or a sports injury
Pain that started at a moment you can name. The knee may have swollen, feel like it is giving way, or catch and click. That can point to a ligament or the cartilage inside the knee, and the assessment is about working out which, and whether you need a scan.
Getting going again after surgery
After a knee replacement, an arthroscopy or a ligament repair. Most people leave hospital with an exercise sheet. We are for when you want someone to check the knee, watch you do the exercises, and move you on as it improves.
What happens at your first appointment
The first appointment is fifty minutes, with a chartered physiotherapist, in a private room.
- The story first. When it started, what makes it worse, what you have already tried, and what you want to get back to: walking the dog, the stairs at home, a Saturday football match.
- Watching you move. Walking, squatting, stepping up and down, standing on one leg. Knee pain usually shows itself when the knee is working, not when you are lying still on a couch.
- Examining the knee. Checking swelling, how far it bends and straightens, the ligaments and the cartilage, and the hip and ankle above and below it, which are often part of the story.
- A plain explanation and a plan. What we think is going on, in words that make sense, what we suggest doing about it, and what you can do at home. You leave with exercises, not just an appointment card.
The treatment room at Alcester.
What the plan might include
For most knee pain, exercise is the main part of it: building strength and control around the knee so it copes better with what you ask of it. For osteoarthritis, NICE, which sets clinical guidance in England, recommends a tailored exercise programme as a core part of care.
Alongside that, depending on what we find: hands-on treatment, acupuncture, advice on what to keep doing and what to ease off, and, for some people, a joint injection. Everything is in the same clinic, so moving from one to another does not mean a new referral or another waiting list.
When a knee injection is worth talking about
Some knees are too painful to do the exercise that would help them. Often that is an arthritic knee, or one that has stayed swollen and inflamed. A corticosteroid injection is one way to settle the pain enough to make that exercise possible. It is a way into rehabilitation, not a replacement for it.
Injections are given by Mark Dyer, a chartered physiotherapist, non-medical prescriber and injection therapist (HCPC PH90683). That means the person examining your knee is the same person who decides whether an injection is right and gives it.
An injection is only ever given after a full assessment, and it is not right for everyone. If Mark does not think it is the right choice for your knee, he will tell you why. There is a limit on how many injections one joint can have in a year.
How joint injections work, what they cost and what to expect →
Where you can be seen
We run two clinics, and knee assessments and injections are available at both. Your records follow you between the two, so you can start in one and carry on in the other without starting again.
Alcester
The Greig Leisure Centre, Kinwarton Road, Alcester, B49 6AD
Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm. Mark is here Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Leanne Styzaker (HCPC PH121607) is here on Thursday evenings.
Redditch
51 Bromsgrove Road, Redditch, B97 4RH
Thursdays, 9am to 2pm, with Mark.
Both physiotherapists can be checked on the HCPC register. More about the team →
Questions people ask about knee pain
Do I need a GP referral or a scan first?
No to both. You can book yourself in. Most knee problems can be worked out from a proper examination. If we think a scan would change what happens next, we will tell you why and explain the options for getting one.
How many sessions will I need?
We will not guess before we have seen your knee. It depends on what is causing the pain and how long you have had it. By the end of the first appointment you will know what we think is going on, what we suggest, and what should have changed by when. If it is not changing, we will say so and change the plan.
I have been told it is arthritis. Is there any point?
Yes, it is worth being assessed. An X-ray and how a knee feels do not always match. Some very worn knees hurt very little, and the other way round. What matters is what you want to be able to do and what is stopping you. Exercise is a core part of care for osteoarthritis in NICE guidance, and for some knees an injection can make that exercise possible.
Should I stop running, walking or going to the gym?
Stopping everything is rarely the answer, and resting a painful knee for weeks can make it weaker. Usually the job is finding how much you can do without making it worse, and building from there. We will help you work that out at the assessment.
Can I just book an injection?
No. An injection is only given after an assessment, so that Mark knows exactly what he is injecting and why, and whether an injection is the right choice at all. Book an assessment and say you would like to talk about an injection. More about joint injections →
Are there knee exercise sheets I can look at now?
Yes. These are general sheets, not a plan for your knee. If an exercise makes the pain clearly worse, stop it and get it checked.
What does it cost?
All our fees are on the pricing page. We are a self-pay clinic: you pay us directly and can claim it back yourself if your insurance allows. We give you a receipt with everything an insurer asks for. We do not bill insurers directly and we do not accept Bupa.
We see children from age seven upwards, with a parent or guardian in the room. When you ring 07380 841468 the call is answered around the clock by Susie, our AI receptionist. Ask for a person and you will get one.
Book a knee assessment
Fifty minutes with a chartered physiotherapist, at Alcester or Redditch. No referral needed.
Rated 5.0 from 26 Google reviews at Alcester and 4.9 from 76 at Redditch. Also on this site: physiotherapy and joint injections.
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