On this page
Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Yes, for assessment and a treatment plan. Knee pain is assessed from the history plus a guided movement screen on video, with anti-inflammatory gels or tablets prescribed and physiotherapy or imaging arranged; a locked knee, no weight-bearing or a hot feverish knee are in-person care.
- What it is: pain from the kneecap joint (patellofemoral pain, the commonest cause in runners and active adults), the cartilage and ligaments (meniscus and ligament tears after twisting injuries), the tendons (patellar or quadriceps tendinopathy), or the joint surface (osteoarthritis, affecting about 1 in 5 adults over 45).
- Injury clues: swelling within 1 to 2 hours of an injury suggests bleeding inside the joint and a ligament or cartilage tear; swelling the next day suggests a lesser injury; a knee that locks or gives way points to a torn meniscus or ligament.
- How long: simple strains settle in days to a few weeks, patellofemoral pain and tendinopathy respond to strengthening over 6 to 12 weeks, meniscus tears in people over 40 usually settle without surgery in 2 to 3 months, and osteoarthritis is managed over years.
- Movement: walking and strengthening reduce arthritic knee pain and improve function without speeding wear; a brace or sleeve eases pain short term but strengthening is what fixes it.
- Emergency: call 112 for a deformed knee after trauma or a suspected fracture or dislocation, and get in-person care without delay for a locked knee, a knee you cannot take weight on, or a hot, swollen knee with fever, which can be a joint infection.
Get in-person care today, not an online appointment, if your knee is locked (stuck, unable to fully straighten), you cannot take weight on that leg, or the knee is hot, swollen and you feel feverish or unwell: a joint infection can permanently damage a knee within days. If the knee looks deformed after a fall, collision or sports impact, call 112; it may be fractured or dislocated.
Can an online doctor treat knee pain?
Yes, in most cases. Knee problems are diagnosed largely from the story (age, activity, how the pain began) plus a movement screen, so a guided video assessment can often provide enough information to reach a working diagnosis and start exercise-based treatment.[3] A locked knee, a leg that cannot take weight, or a hot swollen knee with fever still needs in-person care.
How an online consultation helps with knee pain
- A guided examination by video: You point to the pain; the doctor watches you bend, straighten and, if safe, squat or balance on one leg: the same functional cues used in clinic.
- Diagnosis by pattern: Front-of-knee pain on stairs, locking after a twist, and morning stiffness in later life point to different problems; the history does most of the diagnostic work.
- An up-to-date plan: Modern treatment is relative rest plus progressive strengthening, not weeks of immobility. You leave with exercises matched to the likely cause.
- Referral organised when needed: Physiotherapy, an X-ray or an orthopaedic opinion arranged when your pattern justifies it, and honestly not arranged when it does not.
What the doctor checks in an online knee consultation
Wear shorts, prop your phone so the doctor can see you standing, and expect a structured assessment. In a knee consultation, the doctor will typically check:
- How the pain began: gradual load build-up versus a specific twist, pivot or impact, which is the single most discriminating fact in knee diagnosis.
- How fast any swelling appeared: swelling within an hour or two of an injury points to bleeding inside the joint and a more significant injury; swelling that appears overnight is usually reactive.[3]
- Locking and giving way: a knee stuck short of full straightening suggests a mechanical block; repeated giving way suggests instability, and both lower the threshold for referral.
- Stairs, sitting and stiffness: front-of-knee pain on stairs and after long sitting suggests patellofemoral pain; activity-related pain with brief morning stiffness from mid-life suggests osteoarthritis.[1]
- A movement screen on camera: standing, walking, bending and straightening, and, when safe, a squat or single-leg balance.
- Infection and clot checks: heat, redness, fever or shivers with a swollen joint, and calf swelling or breathlessness, all of which reroute you to same-day or emergency care.
- The hip and the back: knee-area pain is sometimes referred from hip arthritis or an irritated spinal nerve, checked whenever the knee’s story does not add up.
- What your sport or work asks of the joint: kneeling trades, stairs, running volume and recent training spikes, so the plan fits your actual life.
Most people leave with a self-management and strengthening plan; some with a physiotherapy referral or a prescription; some with imaging or an orthopaedic review arranged. If a hands-on examination is genuinely needed to decide, the doctor says so and directs you to the right place: a video assessment should be honest about its own limits.
What causes knee pain?
Knee pain usually comes from one of a short list of causes: patellofemoral pain at the front, ligament or meniscal injuries after twisting, tendinopathy from training load spikes, osteoarthritis from mid-life onwards, and, less often, gout or joint infection. Age, activity and how the pain started usually identify the culprit.
Pain at the front, worse on stairs or after sitting
Patellofemoral pain, irritation where the kneecap glides on the thigh bone, is the classic cause in teenagers, runners, cyclists and anyone who has recently ramped up training. It aches at the front of the knee, flares on stairs (especially going down) and complains after long sitting. It feels alarming and behaves benignly: hip and thigh strengthening over six to twelve weeks is the treatment with the best evidence.
Twisting injuries: ligaments and meniscus
A pivot or awkward landing followed by a pop and a knee that swells within hours suggests a ligament injury such as the ACL. Pain on deep bending with catching, clicking or episodes of locking suggests a meniscal tear. In middle age, menisci can tear with trivial movements as they stiffen; these degenerative tears usually do best with the same exercise-first approach as arthritis rather than automatic surgery.[1]
Osteoarthritis: what age really does to a knee
Knees do not become tougher or more pain-resistant with age; the reverse. Decades of load gradually thin the joint cartilage, so osteoarthritis becomes steadily more common from mid-life: pain on activity, morning stiffness that eases within about half an hour, aching after busy days, sometimes with swelling behind the knee (a Baker’s cyst).[2] The encouraging part is equally true: strengthening the muscles around the knee reduces pain at any age, and sensible exercise does not wear the joint out faster.[4] A sudden hot, red, exquisitely painful knee without any injury is a different problem; gout and other crystal arthritis need their own assessment.
Could the pain be coming from somewhere else?
Sometimes the knee is the messenger, not the problem. Hip arthritis classically refers pain to the thigh and knee, especially in older adults whose knee feels normal on examination, and nerve irritation in the lower back can send pain down the leg. If the knee’s story does not add up, the doctor checks the hip and back.
When should I worry about knee pain?
Worry about a knee that cannot take your weight, locks completely, or follows trauma with visible deformity: that is emergency territory. A hot, swollen knee with fever or shivers may be infected and needs same-day care. Rapid swelling within an hour of an injury, or a knee that repeatedly gives way, needs prompt assessment too.
Which knee treatment might the doctor recommend?
Treatment follows the pattern. This is the decision framework the doctors use, aligned with cited European and UK guidance:[1]
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Presentation | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | When referral or in-person care is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front-of-knee ache on stairs and after long sitting | Graded hip and thigh strengthening over 6–12 weeks | Usually yes | No improvement after a properly completed programme |
| Twisting injury with a pop, swelling within hours, or giving way | Relative rest, early assessment and structured rehabilitation | Initial assessment, then usually in-person review | Suspected ligament rupture needs examination and often imaging |
| Pain on deep bending with catching or locking episodes | Exercise-first treatment, which suits most meniscal problems | Usually yes | True locking (knee stuck short of straight): orthopaedic referral |
| Activity-related pain with brief morning stiffness from mid-life | Strengthening, weight management and topical anti-inflammatories[1] | Usually yes | Persistent pain and limitation despite well-run conservative care: referral, sometimes joint replacement |
| Hot, red, exquisitely painful or feverish knee without injury | Same-day medical assessment | No | Possible septic arthritis or gout flare: same-day in-person care, 112 if severely unwell |
Not sure which row is your knee? A doctor can tell you in one consultation.
See available times →Special situations
Knee pain in runners and athletes
Most running-related knee pain is load outpacing capacity: more kilometres, hills or intensity than the tissues were prepared for. The fix is rarely stopping altogether. Reduce volume to a comfortable level, keep strength work in the week, and rebuild gradually. Two useful return-to-sport checks: pain that settles within about 24 hours of a session, and no new swelling the next morning, mean the load was tolerable. A pivot injury with rapid swelling, locking or giving way is different: get it properly assessed before returning to sport, because an unstable knee invites the next injury.
Living well with knee osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is not “bone on bone, stop moving”; that framing causes more disability than the cartilage does. Strengthening and staying active are the core treatment at every age, weight loss meaningfully reduces the load on the joint, and structured, physiotherapist-led exercise programmes for hip and knee arthritis are available in many EU countries.[1] Flares happen; calm one with relative rest and pain relief, then resume. Joint replacement is a good operation for the right person (persistent pain and limitation despite well-run conservative care), and reaching that decision goes through referral, not through giving up on exercise early.
Knee pain and work
Most knee problems allow modified work rather than absence: less kneeling and squatting, fewer stairs, more seated tasks while rehabilitation runs. Floor-level trades and heavy-carrying jobs are the hard cases. Say exactly what your work involves in the consultation, so the plan and any staged return fit your actual duties rather than a generic desk job.
Treatment options for knee pain
What you can do yourself
Use relative rest: cut the specific activities that flare the pain, but keep the leg moving and loaded within comfort, because complete rest weakens the very muscles the knee depends on. Ice helps short-term comfort after flares. Start simple strengthening early: sit-to-stands, straight-leg raises, step-ups as tolerated, progressing gradually over weeks. If walking is too sore during a flare, load the knee another way; cycling and pool work keep the muscles honest while the joint settles. Expect strengthening to take six to twelve weeks to change symptoms: it is treatment, not a warm-up. If the problem is arthritis and you carry extra weight, even modest weight loss meaningfully reduces the load your knee takes with every step.[2]
Prescription treatment
A prescription is never issued without a consultation. For knee osteoarthritis and many soft-tissue problems, anti-inflammatory gels applied to the knee are the first medication choice: useful effect, few side effects.[1][5] Oral NSAIDs can be added where suitable, after checking your stomach, kidney and heart history; tell the doctor if you are pregnant, because anti-inflammatories are usually avoided in pregnancy, particularly in the third trimester. Opioids and other controlled medicines are not prescribed through online consultations, and the evidence for opioids in long-term knee pain is poor anyway. Be sceptical of supplements: the evidence for glucosamine and similar products is weak, and the doctor will say so rather than sell hope.[1] Braces, straps and taping can ease symptoms short-term, a useful bridge during rehabilitation rather than a substitute for it. Corticosteroid injections can calm a stubborn arthritic flare, but they are an in-person procedure, so the doctor refers you. Physiotherapy is frequently the most effective prescription on this page; orthopaedic referral is for true locking, instability, significant ligament injuries and arthritis that has stopped responding to good conservative care.
When knee pain is treated online, and when you need in-person care
Treated online: gradual-onset knee pain without locking or giving way; patellofemoral pain and tendinopathy, with a graded strengthening plan; knee osteoarthritis reviews, flare plans and anti-inflammatory prescriptions where suitable; return-to-sport planning after minor injuries; and honest second opinions on whether an injury can wait or needs to be seen.
In-person care: a deformed knee after trauma, or a leg you cannot feel or move normally, means call 112. A hot, swollen knee with fever or shivers goes to same-day in-person care, because a septic joint can destroy cartilage within days. A knee that cannot take weight, is truly locked, swelled within an hour or two of an injury, or repeatedly gives way needs prompt physical examination and often imaging. Corticosteroid injections are arranged by referral as an in-person procedure, and arthritis that has stopped responding to well-run conservative care earns an orthopaedic opinion. A rapidly swelling, painful calf below the knee needs same-day assessment for a blood clot.
When to get in-person care
Call 112 for a knee that is deformed after trauma, a suspected fracture or dislocation, or a leg you cannot feel or move normally after an injury. Seek urgent in-person care the same day for a hot, swollen knee with fever or shivers (a possible septic joint, which can destroy cartilage within days) or if you cannot take any weight on the leg. A rapidly swelling, painful calf below the knee needs same-day assessment for a blood clot; if breathlessness or chest pain develops with it, call 112.
Treating knee pain at home: what helps and what does not
For most knee pain without a dramatic injury, home care is correct: relative rest without full stopping, ice for flare-ups, simple pain relief, and, above all, gradually strengthening the muscles around the knee, which protects the joint better than any support bandage.
What home care cannot do: it cannot diagnose a mechanical problem. A knee that locks, gives way, swells significantly after an injury, or cannot take your weight needs proper assessment, and knee pain still limiting you after six weeks of honest rehabilitation deserves a diagnosis and a structured plan rather than another month of hoping.
You do not have to leave home for that step either: you can see a licensed doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. If treatment is right for you, the prescription can be used at a pharmacy near you. Book a video consultation: no subscription, exact price before payment.
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: open daily 7am–11pm CET. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, exact price up front.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about knee pain: a private video call: you describe what you feel, the doctor asks what matters, and you agree the right plan together.
- Leave with your plan: everything agreed before you hang up: your plan, and a prescription to use at a pharmacy near you where medication is clinically right for you. If your doctor decides you need to be seen in person, you get a full refund.
No sign-up needed
Knee pain can have more than one cause. Tick every symptom you have to see each condition page that mentions it. It finds the right page, not a diagnosis: a doctor gives you that on a video call.
Tap the body — an area or a point — to browse symptoms anywhere
Not sure this is the right page? Look up any symptom in the full symptom checker, or book and describe it to a doctor.
Frequently asked questions about knee pain
What causes knee pain?
Knee pain without injury is most often patellofemoral pain from the joint behind the kneecap, osteoarthritis after 45, tendinopathy of the patellar or quadriceps tendon, bursitis from kneeling, or a degenerate meniscus tear; gout and septic arthritis cause a hot swollen knee. Knee pain after injury comes from ligament sprains and tears, meniscus tears, a dislocated kneecap or a fracture, and hip or back problems can refer pain to the knee.
Can an online doctor prescribe treatment for knee pain in Europe?
Yes, after a consultation: anti-inflammatory gels and tablets alongside an exercise plan and physiotherapy referral, with prescriptions used at a pharmacy near you. Opioids and other controlled medicines are not prescribed through online consultations. If your knee needs an injection, imaging or a surgical opinion, the doctor arranges the in-person step and says how urgent it is.
Do I need an X-ray or MRI for knee pain?
Usually not at first. Most knee pain (patellofemoral pain, early osteoarthritis, minor strains) is diagnosed from the history and examination and treated the same way regardless of what a scan would show. Imaging is arranged for suspected fractures, true locking, swelling that appeared within hours of an injury, a knee that gives way, or knee pain that has not improved after six to eight weeks of proper rehabilitation.
Why does my knee hurt going down stairs or after sitting?
Knee pain going down stairs and after sitting points to patellofemoral pain, from the joint between the kneecap and thigh bone, which is loaded hardest on descent and complains after the knee has been bent for long periods. It is common in runners and active people, is rarely a sign of damage, and responds to strengthening of the hip and thigh muscles over 6 to 12 weeks rather than rest.
Is walking good or bad for an arthritic knee?
Good: one of the best things you can do. Regular walking and strengthening reduce arthritic knee pain and improve function, and exercise at sensible levels does not speed up joint wear. Knee pain during activity that settles within a day is acceptable; pain that is sharply worse for days means reduce the dose, not stop. Cycling and water exercise suit knees that cannot yet tolerate walking far.
Do knee braces or supports help?
Yes, in the short term: a simple sleeve for an arthritic knee or a strap below the kneecap for tendinopathy eases knee pain and confidence, and they are cheap and low-risk. But they do not fix the underlying problem: strengthening does. Use a brace to get moving while the muscles catch up, not instead of exercise, and a hinged brace only when a doctor has advised it for a ligament injury.
How long does knee pain take to get better?
It depends on the cause: simple strains settle in days to a few weeks. Patellofemoral pain and tendinopathy respond to strengthening over six to twelve weeks. A degenerate meniscus tear in someone over 40 usually settles in two to three months without surgery. Osteoarthritis is managed rather than cured, with most people improving on a strength programme. Knee pain not improving after six weeks of proper care needs review.
What are the signs of a serious knee injury?
Serious knee injury shows itself as swelling within an hour or two of the injury, a pop or snap felt at the time, inability to take weight, the knee locking so it cannot fully straighten, giving way on turning, or visible deformity. Those signs point to a torn cruciate ligament, a bucket-handle meniscus tear, a dislocation or a fracture and need in-person examination and imaging, not a wait-and-see plan.
What can I do at home for knee pain?
At home, keep the knee moving within pain, use a cold pack wrapped in cloth for 20 minutes after activity that flares it and heat for stiffness, take paracetamol or an anti-inflammatory as advised, start daily strengthening such as sit-to-stands, step-ups and straight-leg raises, lose weight if you carry extra, choose cushioned supportive shoes, and avoid deep squats and kneeling until the knee pain has settled.
How can I prevent knee pain coming back?
Prevent knee pain by keeping the thigh, hip and calf muscles strong with two sessions a week, increasing running or training volume by no more than about 10% a week, warming up before sport, keeping weight in a healthy range, replacing worn shoes, varying surfaces and activities, and continuing the rehabilitation exercises for a few months after the pain has gone, which is when most people stop too early.
Is knee pain different in pregnancy, in older people or in runners?
In pregnancy, knee pain comes from extra load and loosened ligaments and is managed with strengthening, supportive shoes and paracetamol, with anti-inflammatory tablets avoided. In older people, a swollen knee without injury may be osteoarthritis, gout or pseudogout, and a hot knee with fever is infection until proven otherwise. In runners, front-of-knee pain is patellofemoral pain and outer-knee pain is usually iliotibial band syndrome, both fixed by load management and strength.
When does a knee injury need urgent care instead of an online appointment?
Go to urgent in-person care if you cannot take weight on the leg, the knee locks or gives way, swelling appeared within an hour or two of the injury, or the knee is hot and you feel feverish. Call 112 if the knee looks deformed after a fall, collision or sports impact, because it may be fractured or dislocated. A knee that is sore but stable and bearing weight suits an online assessment.
- Osteoarthritis in over 16s: diagnosis and management (NG226), NICE, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2022.
- Osteoarthritis fact sheet, WHO, World Health Organization, 2023.
- Knee pain: assessment (Clinical Knowledge Summary), NICE, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2022.
- Exercise for osteoarthritis of the knee (Cochrane Review), Cochrane, Cochrane Collaboration, 2024.
- Topical NSAIDs for chronic musculoskeletal pain in adults (Cochrane Review), Cochrane, Cochrane Collaboration, 2016.
- Knee pain, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed December 2023.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.
Related conditions
Related reading from the Mobi Doctor blog
From the Mobi Doctor podcast
The 10 Most Common Travel Illnesses
The travel illnesses doctors see most often in Europe, and how to handle each one away from home.
Listen · 23 Feb 2026 → Podcast · 13:26How to Stay Healthy on a Long Flight
Practical steps for circulation, hydration and infection risk before, during and after a long flight.
Listen · 23 Feb 2026 → Podcast · 15:41Debunking Gut Health Myths
What the evidence really says about gut health, and the popular claims that do not hold up.
Listen · 23 Feb 2026 →Speak to a doctor about knee pain over video, usually within 15 minutes
Licensed doctors · open daily 7am–11pm CET · exact price before payment
See available times →