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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    How can I tell if my knee pain is caused by arthritis?

    Related Topics
    Osteoarthritis Rheumatology
    I have had some niggling pain in my knee for the last 4 months and I’m wondering how I can tell if it is arthritis. Are there specific symptoms for arthritis in the knee?
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  • Neil Synnott

    Exercise Physiologist, Physiotherapist

    I am qualified as a PHYSIOTHERAPIST and ACCREDITED EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST.I primarily use the McKENZIE METHOD for assessment and management of musculoskeletal pain disorders. The McKENZIE … View Profile

    Hi,

    My name is Neil. I practice as a physiotherapist and accredited exercise physiologist.

    First, a couple of questions - what is your current age? Do you have pain elsewhere on your body (even subtle pains that you would not normally mention to your GP)?

    Pain is quite an individual experience and diagnosing the body region(s) that are contributing to the pain is a challenge for health professionals. Given this individual pain experience, symptoms of knee arthritis can vary - but often stiffness, mild warmth, achiness, referred pain (down shin or up thigh).

    Knee pain can have multiple contributing factors - restrictions at the knee itself, but also the ankle, hip or low back - can lead to and or exacerbate knee pain.  A thorough musculoskeletal assessment with an appropriately trained physiotherapist will help to discover the contributing factors for YOUR knee pain. Just having an xray through your GP and having arthritis diagnosed is not a complete answer. Often bony changes on xray are part of why the pain exists. 

    Hope this helps!

    Regards, Neil
     

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