Published on: 5/6/2025
Knee pain on stairs can be caused by issues like patellofemoral pain syndrome or knee osteoarthritis, which affect the joint and how it moves when you use stairs.
When you go up or down stairs, you bend your knee more than when you walk on level ground. This extra movement can lead to pain if the knee does not work smoothly. One common cause is patellofemoral pain syndrome. This condition means that the joint where the kneecap meets the thigh bone is irritated, especially when the knee is bent during stair climbing. Another reason could be knee osteoarthritis—a joint "wear and tear" problem that makes the knee stiff and painful. Researchers have shown that in people with chronic knee pain, the area of pain (like the front of the knee) plays a role in how severe the symptoms are and how well the knee works. Additionally, different walking or stair-climbing methods may develop as a way to protect the knee, but they can sometimes lead to extra discomfort. Changing the way you move, strengthening the muscles around your knee, or resting the joint might help, but it’s best to discuss these symptoms with a healthcare provider to find the cause and the right way to ease the pain.
(References)
Farrokhi S, Chen YF, Piva SR, Fitzgerald GK, Jeong JH, Kwoh CK. The Influence of Knee Pain Location on Symptoms, Functional Status, and Knee-related Quality of Life in Older Adults With Chronic Knee Pain: Data From the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Clin J Pain. 2016 Jun;32(6):463-70. doi: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000000291. PMID: 26308705; PMCID: PMC4766069.
Chai Y, Chen J, Hou M, Zheng J, Liu L, Chen Y, Fu S, Ma Y, Hong T, Wang X. Gait strategies for individuals with knee osteoarthritis when transitioning between floor and stair walking. Front Physiol. 2023 Jan 24;14:1026299. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1026299. PMID: 36760532; PMCID: PMC9904770.
Igawa T, Katsuhira J. Biomechanical analysis of stair descent in patients with knee osteoarthritis. J Phys Ther Sci. 2014 May;26(5):629-31. doi: 10.1589/jpts.26.629. Epub 2014 May 29. PMID: 24926119; PMCID: PMC4047219.
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