Knee

A common cause of pain around the knee, not only for sporty types, is retro patellar pain, (pain behind the kneecap). The kneecap is actually enclosed within the tendon of the quadriceps muscle (four muscles on the front of the thigh) The balance between the muscles needs to be just right so that the knee cap sits centrally over the knee. If the balance goes off then the muscles tend to pull the kneecap sideways (usually towards the outer aspect) on the knee. This causes friction between the back of the kneecap and the front of the femur, leading to inflammation.

The medial collateral ligaments can be damaged when the knee gets twisted under force and the inside of the knee becomes overstretched. It is also possible to tear the cruciate ligaments in the knee, this can occur following a fall, skiing or playing sport.

Osteo-arthritis is generally referred to the 'wear and tear' process as joints age. This causes pain, swelling and restricted mobility.