Should I Be Worried With Knee Pain When Climbing Stairs?

Do you get knee pain when climbing the stairs? This is a common complaint we see here at Ballsbridge Physiotherapy clinic.

When walking up the stairs you engage different muscles than walking on a flat surface, the way in which you move your knee makes it move at an angle and working against gravity. As you move up a stairs your knee may bear a force thats between 3-6 times your body weight.

This pain is likey caused by increased pressure on the knee joint. This is due to weakened or overuse of the muscles surrounding the knee.

When To Seek Medical Advise

When to seek medical advise from a physiotherapst:

Pain - If the pain is severe or persists for longer than 2 weeks
Physical symptoms - Visible swelling or bruising
Preventing - If the pain is preventing you from doing daily activities.
Weight - If you cannot put any weight on that leg

Few Common Causes:

Ligament injuries

The knee contains four main ligaments, they control side to side movement of the knee. This ligament is often torn during a twisting movement when weight-bearing, such as a sudden change in direction or landing awkwardly from a jump. These partial tears often do well with physiotherapy rehabilitation, and often do not need surgical repair.

Tendinopathy

This is a short term/acute inflammation of a tendon. Repeated regular movement without recovery time it can cause microscopic tears in the tendon and lead to a chronic tendon injury.

Runners knee (Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome)

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) or runner’s knee is an overuse injury which causes pain at the front of the knee. The repetitive nature of running can cause irritation of this joint leading to knee pain. Pain will often come on gradually and can worsen with continued training. Runner's knee may also occur after a trauma e.g. a fall onto the knee. This pain is often irritated by squatting, prolonged sitting, stair climbing and, of course, running.

Cartilage Wear/ Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a condition where the cartilage in the knee wears away. Cartilage lines the surfaces of the bones in the knee joint. It provides cushioning for the knee joint. Knee stiffness is a major symptom of knee OA. This stiffness is normally worse in the morning and can ease out as you move. Pain is also a feature of knee OA. This is usually worse with weight-bearing activities such as walking and climbing stairs.

Final Word from the Physio

Knee pain doesn’t have to sideline you. With the right physio approach, most people recover fully and return to their normal routines pain-free. You’ll not only treat the symptoms, but also fix the root cause.