What you need to know about Patellofemoral (Knee) Pain
OVERVIEW
Patellofemoral Pain is one of the most common types of knee pain that we see here, at Physiologic. It can affect both the younger, active population, and also the older person's knee, owing to a multitude of different factors.
As your first line of treatment, it’s usually recommended to trial a course of Physiotherapy where a thorough assessment, targeted treatment and individual rehabilitation programs have excellent outcomes.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE PATELLOFEMORAL KNEE PAIN
Here are some of the classic signs and symptoms of someone with patellofemoral knee pain.
Dull, achy pain in the front or side of your knee cap
Pain with standing up and down, especially after prolonged sitting.
Pain with going up and down stairs
In severe cases, swelling or warmth in the knee cap area.
Just be aware that there are other knee conditions like ITB syndrome, or Knee meniscus injuries that could also present similarly to Patellofemoral pain, so it’s always best to get an assessment by a Physiotherapist with experience in the accurate diagnosis of knee injuries.
COMMON CAUSES OF PATELLOFEMORAL (KNEE) PAIN
In our experience, the root causes of Patellofemoral Pain is usually multifactorial, meaning it’s not just ‘weak glutes’, or ‘tight quads’ that is the sole cause of your pain.
A good Physiotherapist will thoroughly assess all the potential causes of your knee pain, and curate an individual treatment and rehabilitation approach, specific for your knee.
Let’s have a look at some common causes we typically see in our practice.
Sudden increase in training load.
One of the most common reports between clients is a sudden increase in running, sports or physical activity in the lead up to their knee pain. WHY? The exponential increase in activity exceeded your body’s capacity to deal with the extra forces, likely leading to a breakdown in technique or control, ultimately leading to an injury.
Poor hip and quadriceps strength.
Hip (Glute) and Quadriceps muscle function is essential in maintaining good control of your knee, especially during physical tasks like running, sports, and even going up and down stairs. Weakness in these muscles leads to poor shock absorption, with the patellofemoral joint having to compensate and take extra stress, eventually leading to an injury.
Ankle stiffness or previous injury.
Commonly overlooked in a complete knee assessment, the ankle is a crucial body part to look at when assessing someone with patellofemoral knee pain. Stiff ankles, as a result of previous injuries like recurrent ankle sprains or fractures, will lead to an increase in load at the knee joint. Combine that with an increase in training load and the likelihood of developing knee pain increases.
Previous surgery.
Most commonly associated with people who’ve had an ACL reconstruction, or even an Arthroscopic Meniscectomy. After these surgeries, it is vital to restore normal function of the knee musculature, to avoid excessive load on the knee joint.
If you’ve been struggling with recurring Patellofemoral pain, stopping you from running, or playing sports, contact us to schedule a comprehensive assessment to get to the bottom of your injury.
HOW TO REDUCE KNEE PAIN
The best way to reduce your knee pain in the long term, is to address the causative factors that apply to YOU.
Obviously in this blog, we can only give general advice. For a more individual approach, please contact us to set up an assessment! (Virtual sessions are also available)
1: Manage your training load appropriately.
As a general rule, your running or training volume should not increase by more than 10% every week. Give your body time to gradually adapt to an increase in training and physical activity.
2: Hip and knee strengthening exercises.
You can’t go wrong getting strong. Exercises to help improve the strength of your glutes and quads will usually be beneficial in the management of patellofemoral knee pain. Here’s an exercise we commonly prescribe to help improve hip and knee strength.
3: Improving hip and ankle mobility.
For the ankle, you’d generally need to improve your dorsiflexion, and extension at your hip! Regular sports massages are also helpful in maintaining good joint and muscle mobility. Click here to find out more.
4: Proper rehabilitation post surgery.
Depending on the surgery you’ve had, make sure you work with your Physiotherapist to ensure you are ready to gradually get back into running or physical activity.
CONCLUSION
Patellofemoral knee pain is complex and has multiple contributing factors. In general, here’s how to keep your knees healthy.
make sure you’re not doing ‘too much too soon’
Incorporate hip and knee strengthening as part of your fitness regime
Don’t let joint stiffness and muscle tightness accumulate.
Work with a health professional experienced in knee rehabilitation to get you back on track safely.
Get back to your running and sporting ambitions with a knee that’s healthier and resilient to injuries. Let the team at Physiologic take a deep dive into your knee injury, making sure no details are missed.
Contact Us now for your first step back to your pain free run.
About the Author
Ryan Tan is our Clinical Director and Physiotherapist here at Physiologic Hong Kong. He’s had over 10 years of experience as a sports and musculoskeletal Physiotherapist, having looked after elite athletes such as the NZ Rugby 7’s team and more recently, some of Hong Kong’s top Trail Runners.
His post graduate training in Advanced Lower Limb Rehabilitation alongside his Strength and Conditioning qualifications blends clinical expertise with exercise prescription to provide the best recovery journey for his clients, every step of the way.
Contact us to speak with Ryan if you are looking for an experienced Physiotherapist to guide you back to your competitive best.