Knee Pain in Glasgow: Causes, Hands-On Options, and When to Get Help
Knee pain is a common problem I see in clinic, and it can affect anyone, not just athletes. You might feel it climbing stairs, getting up from a chair, walking longer distances, or even after sitting for a while. The good news is that knee pain can often be treated well with sports massage and without surgery or long programs, even if it’s been there for months or years.
This page is here to help you understand what might be happening, how hands-on treatments and sports massage can help settle things down, and when it makes sense to get it checked properly.
Common Causes of Knee Pain
Knee pain can come from several sources. Some of the most common patterns I see in clinic include:
- Pain under the kneecap (patellofemoral pain), which often flares during stairs, squats, or sitting with bent knees, but can also continue or appear even without these activities.
- Outer knee pain (often called runner’s knee or IT band syndrome), commonly blamed on the IT band but not always the true source.
- Swelling or puffiness, a sign of irritation, fluid buildup, or overload.
- Pain behind the knee without any other changes is often linked to tendon tension, joint overload, or soft tissue irritation.
These are rarely caused by serious injury or just “wear and tear.” In many cases, it’s more about how the knee is handling load and how the body is responding to small irritations over time.
You can also learn more about general causes of knee pain from Versus Arthritis here.
Why Strengthening Alone Isn't Always Enough
You’ll often hear “just strengthen your quads” or “do more squats.” Strength is important, but when a knee is irritated and reactive, jumping straight into strengthening can sometimes make it worse.
Hands-on work and massage can help settle things first, so the knee is ready to handle gradual load again. Then, strengthening and movement control can be added safely if you want to include them, but they aren’t always necessary for everyone.
The Role of Hands-On Treatment
In my clinic in Glasgow, hands-on treatment is central to calming knee pain early on. I use soft tissue work, joint techniques, kinesiology taping, and sometimes tools like blades or cups to help ease tension, reduce pain, and support smoother movement. These approaches don’t “fix” structural problems but can make it easier for you to move without so much guarding or hesitation.
Kinesiology Taping for Knee Pain
Taping can be a useful short-term tool. It doesn’t hold the joint in place or necessarily correct alignment, but it can help the nervous system feel safer during certain movements like stairs or squats.
For some people, taping gives immediate relief. For others, it helps reveal if pain is mainly due to sensitivity rather than true mechanical problems.
When Swelling Shows Up
If your knee feels puffy or swollen, it doesn’t always mean something serious is wrong. Often, swelling is a protective response, your body’s way of telling you the knee is working too hard or not moving well.
Careful hands-on treatment, gentle offloading (including taping), and guided movement adjustments can often help settle swelling without needing scans or injections.
[Learn more about swelling around the kneecap and early steps.]
Outer Knee and IT Band Pain
Pain on the outside of the knee is commonly labelled as “IT band syndrome,” but this label doesn’t always tell the whole story. It can also relate to how the knee and hip work together, tension in supporting muscles, or irritation around the outer structures.
Hands-on work and taping can both help reduce sensitivity and improve how load is shared through the leg.
[More on outer knee pain and the IT band here.]
Pain Behind the Knee
Pain behind the knee without any other changes is often linked to tendon tension, joint overload, or soft tissue irritation. This area can feel tight, achy, or sore during walking, bending, or after sitting for long periods. It can also come from how the hip and calf muscles work together, or from small overloads over time. Hands-on treatment can help ease tension, improve how the knee moves, and reduce protective bracing that keeps the area feeling stuck. Massage and hands-on techniques can play a big role in helping this settle, without needing to stop all activity completely.
When to Get Your Knee Looked At
If your knee pain keeps flaring up, doesn’t settle even after trying simple things like reducing activity, changing your sitting position, avoiding stairs temporarily, or gently moving the knee to keep it mobile, or stops you from activities you enjoy, it might be time for a proper assessment.
In one session, we can often work out what’s feeding the pain and plan next steps, whether that means hands-on work, massage, taping, or a combination.
There’s no obligation to commit long term. It’s simply about giving your knee the right chance to calm down and move better.