KNEE PAIN
Knee pain rarely starts at the knee.
Knee pain without an injury often starts above or below the knee. The knee is a hinge between the foot and the hip. When the feet turn out, the arch drops or the glutes switch off, the knee takes the twist. Check whether each knee stays over the second toe, fix the feet first, and get a swollen knee checked.
By Muhammed Cam, founder · Updated
Where it starts · Shoes
Shoes turned your feet out.
The first leak is the usual starting point. Turned-out feet and a dropped arch move the knee off the second toe, so it twists every time it bends.
- Working
- Problem: tight or weak
The fix: Feet forward. Point them straight. Wake the arch.
Why does my knee hurt if I never hurt it?
If you still play, you've probably heard it all: rest it, stretch it, strengthen it, see a physio, it's your age. Each answer looks at the knee. The knee is often just the messenger.
It's a hinge between two big joints. Below it, the foot and ankle decide which way the shin points. Above it, the hip decides which way the thigh points. If they disagree, the knee sits in the middle and takes the twist, thousands of times a day. Pain that builds with no injury is often that twist adding up.
Can my feet cause knee pain?
They can play a big part. When the feet turn out, the knee points out with them. When the arch drops on landing, the shin rolls in and the knee caves over it. Either way the knee comes off the second toe. The duck feet guide covers the first half; knees caving in covers the second.
This is the first place I'd look. Point the feet straight, press the big toe down, lift the arch, then bend the knees a little and see where they go.
What about the hips?
The hip controls the thigh. A sleepy side glute lets the thigh roll in; a tight outer quad and outer hip pull it around; weak inner thighs can't hold the knee on line. When I worked on my own, the inside of my knees ached for a while, until the inner thighs got strong enough to take the load off the kneecaps.
Long sitting often sits behind the hip half of the story. The guide to glutes switched off from sitting shows how to check yours.
When is knee pain a job for a professional?
Some knees need a proper look before any training. Get it checked if:
- It's swollen, hot or red.
- It locks, catches or gives way.
- You felt or heard a pop, or it followed a twist, fall or tackle.
- You can't put weight on it, or it's getting worse.
If it mainly hurts when you run, the knee pain when running guide looks at landing and stride.
A 60-second self-test
Feel it now
- 1Stand barefoot, feet hip-width apart, both pointing straight ahead.
- 2Press the big toe down without curling it, and lift the arch.
- 3Soften the knees and keep each one over the second toe.
- 4Close your eyes and hold it for 30 seconds.
What pulls is tight. Stretch it.
What shakes or can’t hold is weak. Strengthen it.
On this page, notice
- Bend the knees a touch. Does each one stay over the second toe, or does one drift?
- Notice the inner thighs and the outside of the hips. What pulls, and what shakes?
The app · coming soon
Not sure which leak is yours?
The From the Feet Up app is a posture and movement scan for iPhone. Six standing photos, a squat, a lunge, a reach and a short walk, about five minutes. It reads five areas from the feet up and tells you what to fix first. Free for now.
Your photos are sent once for the read, never kept on our servers, and saved only on your phone.
Hear first when it launches.
Common questions
Can bad feet cause knee pain?
They can contribute. Turned-out feet and dropped arches change how the shin rotates and where the knee points. That doesn't make every knee problem a foot problem, but the feet are a smart place to start.
Should I rest or strengthen a sore knee?
Rest from what flares it, but keep moving. Strength work that keeps the knee over the second toe often helps. If it's swollen, locking or giving way, get it checked before training.
Can tight hips cause knee pain?
They can contribute. Tight outer hips and sleepy glutes can pull the thigh off line, so the knee twists as it bends. Hips and feet are both worth checking.
Why do my knees hurt going up stairs?
Stairs load a bent knee, which shows up anything that pulls it off line. Watch whether the knee stays over the second toe as you climb. Persistent pain on stairs is worth having looked at.
When should I see a doctor about knee pain?
See a doctor or physio if the knee is swollen, hot, locking or giving way, if you can't bear weight, if it followed a twist, fall or pop, or if it's getting worse.
Educational, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. Sharp, severe, numb or worsening pain needs a qualified professional.