Knee Pain and Conditions in Durban

Full range of knee treatment, from injury to replacement, in Durban.

Cartilage wears down and the joint gets stiff and sore, worse with activity and often improving somewhat with rest, at least in the earlier stages. It's the most common reason people see Dr Ryan about their knee, usually from middle age onward, though it can also follow an old sports injury or ligament tear years earlier. Swelling, a grinding sensation, and difficulty with stairs or getting up from a low chair are common complaints. Physiotherapy, weight management and activity changes are usually the first steps, before surgery is ever considered. When arthritis is advanced and significantly affecting daily life, a knee replacement is a well-established procedure, and Dr Ryan will explain exactly what it involves before any decision is made.

Sports injuries, mostly: a twist or sudden stop, often while changing direction or landing from a jump, can tear the ACL ligament or the meniscus cartilage, often both together. Swelling that comes on fast, within hours, is a common sign, along with a feeling that the knee is unstable or might give way. Not every tear needs surgery. Many settle well with a structured physiotherapy programme first, particularly meniscus tears in the outer, better-blooded part of the cartilage. An ACL tear in an active or sporting patient, or a knee that keeps giving way despite physiotherapy, is more likely to need surgical reconstruction to restore stability, followed by a structured rehabilitation programme over several months.

The kneecap can track off to one side, feel unstable, or develop tendon pain just below it, and runners and jumpers see this a lot, particularly with a sudden increase in training. Pain is often worse going up or down stairs, after sitting for a long time, or during squatting movements. Physiotherapy focused on hip and thigh strength usually resolves it without surgery, since much of the problem comes down to how the muscles around the knee and hip control the kneecap's movement. Taping or bracing can help in the short term while strength improves. Surgery is rarely needed and reserved for structural problems that don't respond to a proper, sustained physiotherapy programme.

A band of tissue running down the outside of the thigh, the IT band, gets irritated where it crosses the knee, causing a sharp or burning pain on the outer side of the joint. It's an overuse injury, common in runners who've recently upped their distance or intensity, and also seen in cyclists. Rest, stretching and a gradual return to training usually clear it up, along with physiotherapy to address hip and running-form factors that often contribute to it. Foam rolling and strengthening the hip muscles can help prevent it recurring once symptoms have settled. Surgery is very rarely required for this condition and is only considered in longstanding cases that haven't responded to a proper rehabilitation programme.