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