| Fact: forty-two percent of all injuries from overuse | | | | contributing to your PFPS. Tight hamstrings and calf |
| affect the knee joint, and runner's knee (a.k.a. | | | | muscles, in particular, can put excessive pressures on |
| patellofemoral pain syndrome or PFPS), is the most | | | | the knee. Weak quadriceps muscles can also cause |
| common injury among runners.PFPS can effect both | | | | the patella to track out of alignment, creating painful |
| knees, though more commonly it is more painful in | | | | friction and rubbing.What can I do to help with |
| one knee. According to the British Journal of Sports | | | | PFPS?A good physical therapist can perform a |
| Medicine PFPS hinders more young and active people, | | | | thorough assessment and determine what factors |
| and twice as many women as men. This is most | | | | could be contributing to your knee pain. They would |
| likely because women tend to have wider hips, | | | | also evaluate your running stride while running on a |
| resulting in a greater angling of the thighbone to the | | | | treadmill to determine if there are any problems with |
| knee, which puts the knee cap under more stress. | | | | your running technique and gait which may be the |
| The symptoms of PFPS are caused by the irregular | | | | culprit of your pain. Treatment will likely consist of |
| tracking of the patella (kneecap) in the femoral | | | | exercises to focus on correcting existing muscle |
| groove.What are the common symptoms of | | | | imbalances and improving strength in weak muscles. |
| PFPS?The most common complaint of those | | | | You will also perform a flexibility program for the |
| suffering with PFPS is tenderness behind and around | | | | hamstrings, calves and hip flexors, and education on |
| the knee. Some also experience pain on the posterior | | | | proper footwear and referral for orthotics to correct |
| side of the knee capsule as well. Instability and | | | | your foot positioning, if necessary. The rule is if your |
| cracking could also be signs of PFPS. Although | | | | feet have good form, your knees will follow.Some |
| symptoms will be different in each case, running on | | | | smart ways to prevent PFPS is to try running on |
| hills and uneven surfaces often aggravates PFPS | | | | softer surfaces like grass or trails. Also, don't do too |
| symptoms.What are possible causes of | | | | much. Increasing your weekly mileage more than ten |
| PFPS?Determining a single cause of your knee pain | | | | percent each week is too much. And lastly, running |
| can be quite difficult. A good approach to eliminating | | | | on hills can be good for your heart but hard on your |
| your pain is having your knee assessed by a physical | | | | knees; make sure to introduce a hill routine slowly! |
| therapist. Anterior knee pain could be a biomechanical | | | | For the best advice contact a good physical therapist |
| problem. Biomechanical issues that may be causing | | | | who can analyze your running gait and provide |
| your pain include: excessive internal rotation of your | | | | strengthening exercises to prevent future pain in |
| hip, your knee cap may sit too high or too low in its | | | | your knees.Susie Goodridge PT, CSCS, is a five time |
| groove, worn cartilage in the knee joint which | | | | marathon runner, and has first hand experience with |
| reduces shock absorption, high arches of the feet | | | | patellofemoral pain syndrome. Through her |
| providing less cushioning and flat feet, or knees that | | | | treatments for knee pain in Los Angeles Physical |
| turn in or out excessively can pull the patella | | | | Therapy patients, she has developed techniques in |
| sideways. There could also be muscular issues | | | | assessing and treating pain caused by running. |