Knee problems

Hi, so I’ve been dealing with some intermittent knee pain. It started when I increased mileage and intensity a bit faster than I probably should have. I took some rest days and it felt better, so I started running again. Now pain is super minimal when I run, just a 2/10 dull ache but afterwards, my knee will either feel better or be painful even with walking. The other day when I did some squats my knee was making grating/crackling sounds, afterwards it started to ache a bit. I then went on a very slow long run, and now it makes that noise even when I sit down. The pain isn’t intense but bothersome, my whole leg just feels meh. I have some appointments for PT and chiropractor coming up. But any ideas on what my knee is doing? Is it just runners knee and I should rest more? Or could it be something else? Any input is much appreciated 🥹