Knee Physiotherapy
At Fortius Allied Health, our physiotherapists assess and treat knee pain and knee injuries, including ACL and meniscus injuries, pain around the kneecap, knee osteoarthritis (including the GLA:D program) and rehabilitation before and after knee surgery and knee replacement. We see patients at our Caloundra, Noosaville, Birtinya and Gympie clinics, and no GP referral is needed to book.
Knee Physiotherapists on the Sunshine Coast and in Gympie
The knee takes high loads in almost everything we do, from walking and climbing stairs to running, landing and changing direction. Knee problems usually start with a sudden injury, such as a twist or an awkward landing, or with load building up faster than the knee can adapt, as happens with many running and kneecap problems. In older adults, osteoarthritis is a common cause of knee pain and stiffness.
Common reasons people come to see us include:
- A twisting injury, with swelling, pain or the knee giving way
- Pain around or behind the kneecap with stairs, squatting or running
- Clicking, catching or locking
- Stiffness and aching from knee osteoarthritis
- Rehabilitation before or after knee surgery or a knee replacement
Your physiotherapist will identify the likely cause, explain it clearly and build a program around your goals. If you need imaging or a medical or surgical opinion, we will tell you and work with your GP or surgeon.
Knee Conditions We Commonly See
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is commonly injured when changing direction or landing. Some people are managed with rehabilitation alone and others have a reconstruction. Either way, a structured, progressive rehabilitation program is central to recovery, and return to pivoting sport is guided by strength, hop and movement testing rather than time alone.
Read ACL Injury Recovery: A Realistic Timeline from Surgery to Sport.
- Traumatic tears from a twisting injury, more common in younger, active people
- Degenerative tears, which are common in middle-aged and older knees and are often found on scans of knees that have no pain
- Exercise therapy is recommended as the first treatment for most degenerative tears
- A knee that is locked and will not straighten needs prompt medical review
Pain around or behind the kneecap that is aggravated by stairs, squatting, sitting for long periods or running. It is common in runners and teenagers. The strongest evidence supports exercise that strengthens the hip and knee muscles, combined with education about managing load.
Exercise and education are recommended first-line treatments for knee osteoarthritis. Fortius Allied Health runs the GLA:D program, an evidence-based education and exercise program for people with hip and knee osteoarthritis. See also our osteoarthritis page.
- Total and partial knee replacement
- ACL reconstruction
- Meniscus repair and knee arthroscopy
- Kneecap stabilisation and fracture fixation
We follow your surgeon's protocol and keep them updated. Read How to Prepare for a Knee or Hip Replacement and see our pre and post operative physiotherapy page.
- Medial collateral ligament (MCL) and other ligament sprains
- Patellar tendinopathy (jumper's knee)
- Iliotibial band (ITB) related pain on the outside of the knee in runners and cyclists
- Osgood-Schlatter disease in growing adolescents
Your Knee Physiotherapy Assessment
At your first appointment at Fortius Allied Health in Caloundra, Noosaville, Birtinya or Gympie, your physiotherapist will typically:
- Ask how and when the problem started, and whether the knee swelled, gave way or locked
- Find out what eases and aggravates your symptoms, and how they affect work, sport and daily life
- Review any scans, surgical reports or your surgeon’s rehabilitation protocol
- Check swelling, range of movement and the strength of the thigh and hip muscles
- Use specific tests for the ligaments, meniscus and kneecap
- Watch how you walk, squat, step and, where appropriate, hop and land
- Check your hip and lower back, and screen for any signs that need medical review
You will leave with a clear explanation of the likely diagnosis, a plan, and exercises to start straight away.
Knee Treatment and Management Options
Your plan depends on your diagnosis, your goals and whether surgery is involved. It may include one or more of the following:
Education and load management
- What your diagnosis means and a realistic timeframe
- How to adjust running, training, work or stairs for now, without stopping everything
- Strategies for managing swelling and flare-ups
Exercise rehabilitation
- Progressive strengthening of the thigh, hip and calf muscles
- Balance, landing and change of direction training
- Graded return to running
- Return to sport testing before you go back to training and games
Hands-on and supporting treatment
- Soft tissue techniques and joint mobilisation where they help you move
- Taping or bracing where it helps in the short term
- Dry needling, if it suits you and you consent
Exercise physiology and GLA:D
Our exercise physiologists can continue your strength program once your physiotherapist clears you, and people with knee osteoarthritis can join the GLA:D program.
When to See a Physiotherapist for Your Knee
Consider booking an appointment if:
- You have twisted your knee and it swelled, or it now feels unstable or gives way
- Your knee clicks, catches or feels like it locks
- Knee pain has lasted more than a couple of weeks, or keeps coming back with running or sport
- Stairs, squatting, kneeling or walking have become difficult
- You have knee surgery or a knee replacement coming up, or have recently had it
Seek urgent medical care (your GP, or the emergency department) if you cannot bear weight after an injury, if the knee looks deformed, if it is locked and will not straighten, if it is hot, red and swollen and you feel unwell or feverish, or if you develop calf pain and swelling, particularly after surgery.
Knee Physiotherapy: Frequently Asked Questions
No. You can book directly with Fortius Allied Health for private physiotherapy without a GP referral. If your care is funded through WorkCover QLD, CTP or a Medicare chronic condition management plan, the rules for that scheme apply. Read Do You Need a GP Referral to See a Physiotherapist in Queensland?
Many meniscus tears can be managed without surgery. For degenerative tears in middle-aged and older adults, research has found that exercise therapy gives similar results to arthroscopic surgery, so a structured exercise program is usually recommended first. Some traumatic tears in younger people, and knees that lock, may need a surgical opinion. Your physiotherapist will help you work out which applies to you.
Most people need at least nine months of rehabilitation before returning to pivoting sports such as football, netball or basketball, whether or not they have a reconstruction. The decision is guided by strength, hop and movement testing, not just the time since injury or surgery.
Exercise that strengthens the hip and knee muscles, combined with adjusting running, training or daily load for a period, has the strongest evidence. Taping or foot orthoses may help some people in the short term. Improvement usually takes several weeks to a few months of consistent exercise.
Physiotherapy before surgery (prehabilitation) helps you build strength and range of movement, learn your post-operative exercises and plan for getting home. Your surgeon's team will usually also invite you to Joint School, where Fortius Allied Health physiotherapists present.
Yes. If your private health extras cover includes physiotherapy, you can claim a rebate at all four Fortius Allied Health clinics. How much you get back depends on your fund and your level of cover, so check with your fund if you are unsure.
Book a Knee Physiotherapy Appointment
Book online at any of our four clinics, or phone the clinic directly:
- Caloundra: 41 Bombala Terrace, Caloundra QLD 4551. 07 5293 6000. Monday to Friday, 7am to 5:30pm.
- Noosaville: Noosa Civic Medihub, Level 1, 26 Eenie Creek Road, Noosaville QLD 4566. 07 5440 7700. Monday to Friday, 7am to 5:30pm.
- Birtinya: Vitality Village, Level 4, 5 Discovery Court, Birtinya QLD 4575. 07 5413 5202. Monday to Friday, 7am to 6:30pm.
- Gympie: 3 Queen Street, Gympie QLD 4570. 07 5440 7700.
Book online now. No GP referral is needed for private physiotherapy, and we also see WorkCover QLD, CTP and NDIS (self managed and plan managed) clients.
Are you having a joint replacement?
Joint School is a pre-surgical education program that is delivered by one of our Physiotherapists in conjunction with a Nurse Practitioner from the Sunshine Coast Orthopaedic Group. You’ll receive expert information, exercises and support to prepare your body for surgery and recovery’s
