Knees take the load of everything above them and the ground reaction of everything below. Whether yours ache on stairs, swell after runs, or have grown stiffer with the years, the useful question is the same: what is loading this knee badly — and what can we change?
The knee pain we treat
- Arthritis-related knee pain — hands-on treatment to ease stiffness and support you staying active, alongside the exercise that arthritic knees genuinely need.
- Runners' and gym overuse problems — pain at the front of the knee, around the kneecap or in the tendons, usually a story about load rising faster than the tissue could adapt.
- Stiffness and loss of confidence in the joint — the knee that will not fully bend or straighten, or that you no longer quite trust.
Treatment: the knee, and what surrounds it
Sessions combine hands-on work on the knee and the joints above and below it, with a plan that respects your goals — whether that is a marathon or a pain-free walk to the shops on Mill Lane. Where a stubborn tendon is the problem, shockwave therapy is available in clinic, and diagnostic ultrasound lets us look at soft tissue on the spot when it changes the decision.
When knees need a doctor first
A knee that locks solid, gives way with a pop and rapid swelling, is hot and red with fever, or cannot take your weight after an injury should be assessed medically first. If that is your knee, urgent care comes before manual therapy — and we will say so.
Local to West Hampstead
We are at 51 Mill Lane, NW6, near West Hampstead station. Runners may also want the sports injuries page; if your knee trouble travels with back pain, start with back pain treatment — or book an assessment and we will look at the whole picture.
Knees complaining on stairs or runs?
Same-day and evening appointments are often available at our West Hampstead clinic.
Book an appointment Call 020 4620 6458Common questions
Can osteopathy help knee pain from arthritis?
Yes — as an adjunct to the core treatments for osteoarthritis, which are exercise and staying active. Hands-on treatment can ease stiffness and help you keep moving comfortably, which is exactly what arthritic knees need most.
Why do my knees hurt when the problem might be elsewhere?
The knee sits between the hip and the foot and often pays the price for what happens at either end — a stiff hip, a rolled-in foot, weak control on one side. That is why we assess the whole leg and how you walk, not just the knee itself.
Should I stop running because of knee pain?
Usually not permanently. Most running-related knee pain responds to adjusting load, addressing the mechanics that overloaded the knee, and rebuilding gradually. Complete rest often just postpones the problem.