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If your knee hurts when you walk, there can be several possible reasons. Sometimes the problem develops after an injury. In other cases, knee pain comes on gradually without an obvious cause.
Common causes include irritation around the kneecap, osteoarthritis, tendon problems, meniscus injuries, and muscle weakness or imbalance. Problems involving the spine, hip, ankle, or foot can also change how forces travel through the knee when you walk.
The location of your pain, when it occurs, and what makes it better or worse can provide important clues.
Common Causes of Knee Pain When Walking
Your knees handle repeated loads with every step you take. Therefore, even a relatively minor problem may become noticeable during longer walks or daily activities.
Some common causes include:
- Patellofemoral pain: Pain is usually felt around or behind the kneecap. It may become worse with walking, stairs, squatting, or prolonged sitting.
- Knee osteoarthritis: Changes within the joint can cause pain, stiffness, swelling, or reduced movement. Symptoms may be worse after inactivity or with longer periods of walking.
- Meniscus irritation or injury: The menisci (the cartilage in your knee joints) help distribute load within the knee. An injury may cause pain along the joint line and sometimes clicking, catching, or swelling.
- Tendon problems: The quadriceps and patellar tendons can become painful with repetitive loading or increased activity.
- Sprains and other injuries: Ligaments and other soft tissues may become irritated after a twist, fall, sports injury, or sudden change in activity.
- Nerve pain from the spine: Nerves from the lower back can become irritated and cause knee pain and/or weakness
However, the painful area isn’t always the only place that should be examined.
Why Your Knee May Hurt Even Without a Knee Injury
Walking involves much more than the knee. Your spine, hips, pelvis, knees, ankles, and feet all work together with each step.
For example, weakness or reduced control around the hip may affect how the thigh and knee move. Limited ankle mobility can also alter walking mechanics. Foot mechanics may influence how forces are transferred up the leg.
Even changes in your activity can matter. Perhaps you’ve recently started walking farther, returned to running, changed footwear, or spent more time working around the house or yard. Sometimes the tissues simply haven’t adapted to the increased workload yet.
This is why I don’t like to look at knee pain in isolation. When I assess a patient with knee pain, I also consider how the rest of the lower extremity and spine is functioning.
What Does the Location of Your Knee Pain Tell You?
Where you feel the pain can help narrow down the possibilities.
Pain around or behind the kneecap may suggest patellofemoral pain. Pain along the inside or outside of the knee can involve the meniscus, ligaments, tendons, or joint itself. Pain below the kneecap may involve the patellar tendon. Pain and stiffness throughout the joint may occur with osteoarthritis. Generalized knee pain with or without weakness can come from pinched nerves in the the spine.
The pattern matters too.
Does your knee hurt as soon as you start walking, or only after 20 or 30 minutes? Is it worse after sitting? Does the knee swell? Does it feel unstable? Do hills or stairs make it worse?
These details, combined with a physical examination, can help determine what may be causing the problem.
Can a Chiropractor Help With Knee Pain When Walking?
Depending on the cause, chiropractic care may be one part of managing knee pain.
At my Edmonton chiropractic clinic, I assess the knee itself, the surrounding joints and muscles, as well as the spine. This may include evaluating knee movement, muscle strength, hip function, ankle mobility, spine alignment and mobility, and walking mechanics.
Treatment depends on what I find. It may include adjustments when appropriate, soft-tissue techniques, and specific exercises to improve strength, mobility, and control.
Most importantly, treatment should address the likely cause rather than simply treating the area that hurts.
Some knee problems also require imaging, medical assessment, or referral to another healthcare provider. If your examination suggests that something else needs to be investigated, that should become part of the plan.
When Should You Have Knee Pain Checked?
An occasional minor ache after unusual activity may settle with time. However, consider having your knee assessed if the pain keeps returning, interferes with walking, or isn’t improving.
Seek more prompt medical attention if you have significant swelling, cannot comfortably bear weight, develop marked redness or warmth, experience significant instability, or have knee pain after a substantial injury.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pain that develops as you continue walking may be related to how a joint, tendon, or other tissue responds to repeated loading. The cause can vary, so the location of the pain and examination findings are important.
They can contribute. The muscles around the hips and knees help control your leg and manage forces during walking. Strength is only one factor, however, so it’s important to consider mobility, previous injuries, activity levels, and other possible causes.
It depends on the severity and cause. Mild discomfort doesn’t always mean you need to stop all activity. However, pain that progressively worsens, changes your walking pattern, causes swelling, or persists should be assessed rather than repeatedly pushed through.
Knee Pain Treatment in Edmonton
If knee pain is making walking uncomfortable, understanding why it hurts is an important first step.
At Collins Chiropractic Health & Wellness Centre, I assess knee pain as part of the way your entire lower extremity and spine is moving and functioning. From there, we can determine an appropriate treatment and exercise plan or whether further investigation is needed.
Learn more about Knee Pain Treatment in Edmonton, or book an appointment if you’d like to have your knee assessed.
About Dr. Dean Collins
Dr. Dean Collins has been helping Edmonton patients improve their health through chiropractic care since 1998. With over 30 years of clinical experience, he has worked with patients of all ages, helping them reduce pain, improve mobility, and maintain healthier, more active lives. At Collins Chiropractic Health & Wellness Centre, Dr. Collins focuses on identifying the underlying causes of pain and dysfunction while providing personalized care, education, and practical strategies to support long-term health and wellness.
Learn more about Dr. Collins or book an appointment today.
To learn more about how chiropractor care can help you and your family, read Dr. Collins’ comprehensive guide to chiropractic care: Chiropractic Care for Everyone.
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