What is runner’s knee?
Runner’s knee is also known as patellofemoral syndrome. The patella is the knee cap and the femur is the thigh bone. Believe it or not, our knee caps are supposed to be able to move. If they don’t move like they should, you can have knee pain that surrounds the knee cap or feels deep underneath the knee cap.
You do not have to be a runner to have runner’s knee.
What causes it?
In physical therapy, we look at muscle imbalances. Are certain muscles that surround the muscle weak? Or certain muscles tight? Does the knee joint have the right amount of movement/mobilty? If you have some tight muscles/ligaments, it can pull the knee cap in certain directions and cause altered movement patterns. Repeated movement with altered patterns can then lead to pain. Think of how many steps you take in a day. 10,000 steps or 5 miles? Small changes over time can cause a lot of impact and wear and tear on your body.
How can I treat my pain?
Oftentimes, the muscles that I find to be tight are the hamstrings, the calf muscles, and the IT band. The muscles that are often weak are the gluteal muscles ( the butt muscles). In physical therapy, we will help identify the muscle impairments and teach exercises to stretch the muscles that are tight and strengthen the muscles that are weak. We can also look at your movement patterns and try to change the altered movements that you make that may contribute to your pain. Exercise is medicine. 😊