Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
Also known as Runners Knee, pain behind the kneecap is commonly called patellofemoral pain syndrome. It can also be seen in everyone from the young adolescents during growth spurts to elderly people. You may be noticing your knee occasionally give away due to pay, or starting to hear some clicking and popping. You might start avoiding stairs due to the fear of aggravating your knees.
The cause of pain is due to the knee cap being misaligned and not sliding smoothly against your femur. Repeated mal-tracking causes pain, stiffness, and ultimately can cause damage to your kneecap joint surface.
Causes of Patellofemoral pain Syndrome
Overuse – increased activity or increased duration and intensity of the activity
Changes in footwear or playing surfaces
Tight outer thigh muscles and weaker inner thigh muscles causing the kneecap to be pulled to one side
A twisting injury
Surgery
Excess weight
Flat feet and lack of arch support
Weak hip control muscles
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is a proven treatment for patellofemoral pain knee. It is often important to look at any asymmetry through the hips, feet, and SIJ, as this can alter the mechanics through your knee. Your physiotherapist may initially tape your kneecap to help reduce pain and improve the tracking. Joint mobilizations and soft tissue work are also commonly used to reduce swelling and restore movement. Our team will prescribe you exercises to stretch and strengthen muscles that may be contributing to the problem.
Depending on your knee pain cause, you may also be advised to trial arch supports or different footwear. You may also require postural or technique correction in your chosen sport to stop problems from recurring.
In our experience, a majority of our clients clients will be pain free within six weeks of starting treatment.
