Knee Pain Treatment in Harborne, Birmingham

Knee pain is one of the most common complaints we see at our Harborne clinic, and it affects far more people than you might expect. It is not just a problem for runners or professional athletes — it hits office workers who have been sitting all day, parents chasing toddlers around Harborne Park, grandparents struggling with stairs, and weekend footballers who overdid it on a Sunday morning. The knee is the largest joint in your body, and it bears an enormous amount of load every single day. Walking puts roughly one and a half times your body weight through each knee. Going up stairs triples that. Running can multiply it by seven or eight times. So when something goes wrong in the knee — whether it is a ligament strain, a cartilage tear, early osteoarthritis, or poor tracking of the kneecap — you feel it in almost everything you do. The frustrating thing about knee pain is that people tend to wait. They stop running. They avoid the stairs. They give up the five-a-side. Months pass, and the problem that might have been straightforward to treat has become more complicated because the muscles around the knee have weakened and the movement patterns have changed. If your knee pain is stopping you from doing the things you love, or if you are just putting up with it and hoping it goes away, we would rather see you now than in six months when it has got worse.

  • Pain when climbing or descending stairs
  • Swelling around the knee joint
  • Clicking, catching, or locking in the knee
  • A feeling of instability or the knee giving way
  • Pain during or after exercise
  • Stiffness after sitting for long periods

How We Treat Knee Pain

Knee Assessment and Biomechanical Analysis

We start with a thorough assessment of the knee itself — testing each ligament, the meniscus, and the kneecap tracking. But we do not stop there. Knee pain is frequently caused or worsened by problems elsewhere in the body. Weak glutes can cause the knee to collapse inward during movement. Stiff ankles can change how force travels through the leg. Flat feet or overpronation can twist the knee with every step. We assess the entire lower limb chain so that we treat the cause, not just the symptom. This includes watching you walk, squat, and do single-leg movements to see exactly where the breakdown is happening.

Manual Therapy and Joint Mobilisation

Hands-on treatment to improve how the knee joint moves. This includes mobilisation of the kneecap (patella) if it is tracking poorly, soft tissue release of the muscles around the knee — particularly the quadriceps, ITB, and calf muscles — and mobilisation of the hip and ankle joints where they are contributing to the problem. Manual therapy helps reduce pain, decrease swelling, and restore normal movement patterns. Most patients notice an improvement in comfort and range of motion after the first session.

Progressive Strengthening Programme

This is where lasting results come from. Once the acute pain is under control, we build a strengthening programme that targets the specific weaknesses we found in your assessment. For most knee patients, this means strengthening the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles. We start with simple, pain-free exercises and progress them over time as your knee gets stronger. The goal is not just to get rid of the pain, but to make the knee robust enough that it does not come back. We give you clear exercises with videos so you know exactly what to do at home.

Taping and Support

For certain knee conditions — particularly patellofemoral pain (runner's knee) and mild ligament sprains — taping can provide immediate pain relief by changing how the kneecap tracks or supporting the joint during activity. We use kinesiology tape and rigid taping techniques depending on what your knee needs. This is especially useful if you need to stay active while your knee recovers, whether for work, sport, or daily life.

Gait Analysis and Footwear Advice

How you walk and run has a direct impact on your knee. We assess your gait to identify patterns that may be overloading the knee — things like overpronation, excessive hip drop, or overstriding when running. Where appropriate, we recommend footwear changes or refer for custom orthotics. For runners, we can make specific adjustments to running technique that reduce knee stress without slowing you down.

What to Expect

Your first appointment lasts 45 minutes. We start by taking a detailed history — when the pain started, what makes it better or worse, what activities you are struggling with, and any previous injuries. Then we carry out a thorough physical examination of your knee, including specific orthopaedic tests for the ligaments, meniscus, and kneecap tracking. We also look at your hip, ankle, and foot, because knee pain is often influenced by what is happening above and below the joint. We assess your standing posture, your single-leg balance, and how you walk. By the end of that first visit, we will explain exactly what we think is going on, why it is happening, and what we recommend. Most patients receive some treatment in that first session — usually soft tissue work and gentle mobilisation to start reducing pain and improving movement. We will also give you specific exercises to do at home between sessions. Your first appointment is £55, including assessment and treatment.

1

Initial assessment — 45 minutes

2

Treatment begins in your first appointment

3

Ongoing plan — most patients need 6 sessions

Common Questions About Knee Pain

Do I need a scan before coming to see you?
No. In most cases, a thorough clinical examination gives us enough information to diagnose the problem and start treatment. If we think imaging is needed — for example, if we suspect a significant meniscus tear or ligament rupture — we will refer you for an MRI. But most knee pain does not require a scan, and waiting for one can delay treatment unnecessarily.
Can chiropractic help with knee pain?
Yes. While most people associate chiropractors with backs and necks, we are trained to assess and treat all joints in the body, including the knee. Our approach combines manual therapy with exercise-based rehabilitation. For many types of knee pain — particularly patellofemoral pain, mild ligament sprains, and osteoarthritis — this approach is supported by clinical evidence and recommended by NICE guidelines.
How long will it take to get better?
It depends on the condition. A straightforward muscle strain or mild patellofemoral pain often responds well within four to six sessions over a few weeks. More complex problems like meniscus injuries or long-standing osteoarthritis take longer. We will give you a realistic timeline at your first appointment based on what we find.
Can I still exercise with knee pain?
Usually, yes — but you may need to modify what you do for a while. Complete rest is rarely helpful for knee pain and can actually make things worse because the muscles weaken. We will advise you on which activities are safe to continue and which ones to avoid or modify while your knee recovers.
Is knee pain normal as I get older?
Common, yes. Normal, no. While osteoarthritis does become more prevalent with age, it does not mean you have to accept pain as inevitable. Research consistently shows that exercise and manual therapy can significantly reduce osteoarthritis pain and improve function. Many of our older patients are surprised by how much better they feel after treatment.
What should I wear to my appointment?
Wear or bring shorts if you can. We need to see and access the knee during the examination and treatment. If you do not have shorts, loose-fitting trousers that can be rolled above the knee work fine.
Dr Jaydon Lawrence

Your Practitioner

Dr Jaydon Lawrence

DC, MChiro, GCC Registered

Jaydon specialises in knee rehabilitation and lower limb biomechanics. As a former rugby player, he understands the frustration of being sidelined by a knee injury — and the importance of getting back to full function, not just reducing pain. Jaydon has treated hundreds of patients with knee problems at our Harborne clinic, from acute sports injuries in young athletes to long-term osteoarthritis management in older adults. He takes a methodical approach to knee assessment, looking at the whole kinetic chain from the hip to the foot to understand why the knee is under stress. His treatment combines hands-on joint and soft tissue work with progressive strengthening programmes tailored to your specific goals, whether that is completing a Couch to 5K or walking to the Harborne High Street without discomfort.

What Patients Say

I had been struggling with knee pain for over a year after increasing my running. Two other practitioners told me to just stop running. Jaydon actually assessed my whole leg, found that my glutes were weak and my ankle was stiff, and built me a programme that sorted the knee pain. I ran a half marathon last month pain-free. Cannot recommend enough.

Mark T. ★★★★★

My knee had been clicking and swelling for months. I put it off because I assumed I would need surgery. Jaydon explained that the problem was how my kneecap was tracking and treated it with mobilisation and exercises. Six weeks later the swelling had gone and the clicking had almost stopped. Wish I had gone sooner.

Sarah K. ★★★★★

Came in after a football injury — twisted my knee badly and could barely walk. The assessment was thorough and Jaydon was honest about what he could help with and what might need further investigation. Thankfully it was treatable without surgery. The rehab programme was clear and I was back playing within eight weeks.

Daniel O. ★★★★★

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Same-week appointments available. No GP referral needed.

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