Knee pain — which specialty
Pain, stiffness or swelling in the knee, often worse on stairs.
Usually seen by
RheumatologyOrthopaedics
Other directions, depending on what comes with it:
- Rehabilitation medicine — for the exercise programme once a direction is set
Not sure you have picked the right one? Start with general internal medicine — routing you to the right place is their job, not yours.
Go now, without waiting for an appointment, if any of these apply
- A hot, red, swollen knee with fever
- Unable to bear weight after an injury
- A deformed knee after an accident
- A knee that locks and will not straighten
This list is not exhaustive and does not replace judgement on the spot. If something is clearly wrong and you are unsure, call your local emergency number or go to the nearest facility — waiting in order to be certain is the most dangerous way to spend the time.
What you will be asked — have the answers ready
- Whether it hurts on the inner side, the outer side, or at the front
- Whether going up or going down stairs is worse
- Whether there is clicking, or a sense of the knee giving way
- How many minutes of stiffness on waking
- Your weight and daily activity level
A first appointment is short. Having these answers ready is the cheapest way to avoid a second visit that exists only to supply information.
Bring with you
- Previous knee films
- A note of which activity hurts most
- The shoes you wear every day — uneven wear is information too
What a first visit usually involves
- Examination of movement and joint stability
- Weight-bearing X-rays
- MRI if soft tissue injury is suspected