Knee and joint pain
Based on NHS – Knee painAwaiting clinical & community review
Explained for you
Uses your language and style. The medical facts stay the same as NHS guidance.
NHS source (English)
Knee pain is common and often improves with gentle exercise, weight management and pain relief. Keeping moving usually helps more than resting completely. Many areas let you refer yourself to NHS physiotherapy. See a GP if pain does not improve after 2 weeks, or get urgent help if the knee is very swollen, hot, you cannot put weight on it, or you have a high temperature.
Key words to recognise
You may hear these English words at appointments.
- Osteoarthritis
- Wear and stiffness in the joints; very common as we get older.
- Physiotherapy (physio)
- Exercises and advice to help movement. Many areas let you self-refer.
Things you can do
- Try gentle strengthening exercises, sitting and standing from a chair
- Ask if you can self-refer to NHS physiotherapy
- Consider chair-based or water exercise classes
Questions to ask your GP
- Can I be referred to physiotherapy?
- What pain relief is safe with my other medicines?
This service provides health information and navigation. It does not diagnose conditions or replace advice from a healthcare professional.