Knee Pain Physiotherapy
Strength-first treatment for knee pain and arthritis — stairs, floor-sitting and walks made easier.
The knee is a hinge caught between two masters — the hip above and the foot below — and it usually pays for weakness in one of them. Weak thigh and hip muscles let the kneecap track badly and load the joint unevenly, which is why knee pain so often shows up first on stairs, slopes, and getting up from the floor — movements woven through Indian daily life, from cross-legged meals to squat toilets to temple steps. Whether the label is early osteoarthritis, runner’s knee, or simply ‘knee pain’, the strongest evidence points the same way: a stronger, better-controlled leg hurts less.
At MBM Physiotherapy, Dr. Sushma Singh (PT) assesses the whole chain — hip strength, kneecap tracking, ankle mobility, walking pattern — rather than staring only at the painful spot. Treatment builds from pain-calming techniques and load management in the early weeks to progressive strengthening that restores your stairs, walks and floor-sitting confidence. For knee arthritis specifically, exercise therapy is a first-line, guideline-backed treatment worldwide, and done right it delays or avoids surgery for a large share of patients.
Who should consider this
- Knee pain climbing or, more tellingly, descending stairs
- Pain and stiffness after sitting cross-legged or getting up from the floor
- Osteoarthritis diagnosed on X-ray, advised "exercise" but never shown how
- A knee that swells or aches after walks, badminton or gym sessions
- Clicking with pain, or a knee that feels it may give way on uneven ground
- Recovery after a ligament or meniscus injury managed without surgery
- Overweight-related knee load, wanting a plan that respects painful joints while building capacity
Before your first session
No special preparation needed
- Wear shorts or loose trousers that roll above the knee — the joint needs to be seen and felt
- Bring X-ray or MRI films and reports if you have them, and prescriptions from any orthopaedic consultations
- Bring your daily medicine list, including painkillers and supplements you take for the joints
- Bring or wear your usual walking footwear; worn-out soles tell their own story
- Note which specific activities provoke pain — stairs down, squatting, first steps after sitting — as each points to a different structure
What happens during treatment
The first session examines the knee in context: swelling and warmth checks, range of motion, ligament and meniscus tests where the history suggests them, kneecap tracking, and — critically — strength testing of the thigh and hip plus a look at how you walk, squat and manage a step. Dr. Singh explains which structure is complaining and why it is being overloaded, then starts treatment: techniques to settle pain and swelling, guidance on how much activity the knee can currently tolerate (rarely zero), and the first two or three strengthening exercises dosed to challenge muscle without flaring the joint.
Sessions and timeline
Expect honest arithmetic: pain often eases within two to four weeks of good load management, but strength changes — the part that keeps the pain from returning — take six to twelve weeks of progressive exercise, because that is how long muscle takes to adapt. Sessions typically run twice weekly early on, then weekly and fortnightly as the programme becomes yours; arthritis care often settles into a long home routine with occasional review. Frequency and duration are set by the assessment, not a fixed package. See a doctor first, not a physiotherapist, if the knee is hot, red and swollen with fever, if it locked and will not straighten, if you cannot take four steps after an injury, or if pain wakes you nightly without any mechanical pattern.
What it costs
Cost follows the course your knee needs: a short block for a simple overload problem, a longer strength-building course for arthritis or post-injury rehabilitation, with the detailed first assessment priced separately from shorter follow-ups. Because much of the programme transfers to home exercise, later weeks usually need fewer clinic visits than early ones.
Call +91 11 4119 4668 for today’s rate — it takes a minute and there are no surprise charges. If a multi-week course is advised, ask about block booking; a planned course usually works out cheaper per session.
Common questions
My X-ray shows arthritis. Is exercise safe for a worn joint?
Yes — safe and specifically recommended. Cartilage has no blood supply of its own; it is nourished by joint fluid pressed in and out by movement, and stronger muscles absorb load the joint would otherwise take. X-ray severity correlates poorly with pain, and correctly dosed exercise reduces symptoms even in clearly arthritic knees.
Should I stop sitting on the floor and using stairs?
Not permanently — the goal is to earn them back. During a painful flare we may temporarily reduce deep squatting and trade floor sitting for a low stool, but avoiding these movements forever weakens the very capacity you need for them. The programme rebuilds bending tolerance gradually so daily Indian floor-and-stairs life stays open to you.
Do knee caps, braces or hot water help?
A simple sleeve can give comfort and confidence in a flare, and warmth eases stiff muscles before exercise — both are supports, not treatments. Rigid braces have specific, limited uses after certain injuries. None of them strengthens anything, so we treat them as bridges to exercise rather than destinations.
Can physiotherapy help me avoid knee replacement?
Often it can delay it, and for many people with mild-to-moderate arthritis a proper strengthening programme controls symptoms well enough that surgery stays unnecessary for years. If your joint has reached the stage where replacement is clearly the right call, we will say so honestly — and good physiotherapy before and after surgery markedly improves the result.
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