What should you check if the front of your knee hurts when going down stairs?

If the front of your knee hurts more when going down stairs than when going up, you may consider that the tendon below the kneecap or the joint between the kneecap and the thigh bone may be under strain. We check whether similar pain occurs when you squat or stand up after sitting for a long time.

Pain should not be explained based solely on age and X-ray findings; swelling, sensation of heat, and symptoms of the knee getting caught must also be examined.

• Pain in the front of the knee when going down stairs
• Pain when squatting or standing up after sitting for a long time
• Swelling and heaviness in the knee after walking
• A feeling that the knee gives way when changing direction
• Knee locked and unable to fully extend due to catching
• Repetitive ascending and descending stairs worsens the condition.

Along with the location of pain, it must be confirmed whether the knee is actually stably supporting body weight.

If pain on stairs began right after a fall or twisting the knee and the knee swelled markedly within a few hours, ligament or meniscus injury or a fracture should be checked. The same applies if it is hard to put weight on the leg or the knee looks deformed. If the knee becomes red, hot, and swollen with a fever without any injury, a joint infection is possible and same-day care is needed.

If your calf suddenly swells and hurts while you become short of breath, call 119 (Korea's emergency number) or go to an emergency room immediately. Do not delay care if the knee repeatedly gives way so that you nearly fall when going downstairs, or if it catches and locks so that it will not straighten.

We ask whether it hurts more going up or coming down stairs, and ask you to point to whether the pain is around the kneecap or at the tendon just below it. We also check whether hiking, running, or stair use has recently increased and whether you squat often.

During the examination, we see whether pain is reproduced and whether the knee drifts inward while stepping down one stair or doing a shallow one-leg squat. We check tenderness and swelling around the kneecap and the strength and flexibility of the front thigh muscles, and if pain began after twisting or there is locking, we also examine the ligaments and meniscus. If needed, we guide you to imaging or evaluation at another medical institution.

If there are no warning signs and it is necessary to manage the movement of the knee joint, the function connected with the hip and ankle joints, and muscle tension, Chuna manual therapy may be considered. We do not guarantee that it will increase joint spacing or regenerate cartilage.

Recover the thigh and buttock muscles starting from low intensity, and check changes in climbing stairs and rising from a seated position before and after treatment.