Physiotherapy and Patellofemoral Knee Pain

Physiotherapy and Patellofemoral Knee Pain

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is an umbrella term used to describe pain around the kneecap (patella) and front of the knee. It can impact different people in different ways, with recovery times depending on the severity of the condition.  

Some of the main causes include:

  • Weakness of the thigh (quadriceps) muscles
  • Weakness in the buttocks/ hips (gluteal) muscles
  • Poor core strength and/or endurance
  • Poor gluteal endurance and strength
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Kneecap (patella) instability
  • Bony variations in terms of anatomy ie. Excessive patellofemoral joint pressure, poor knee alignment
  • Poor sports training techniques or overuse
  • Lower limb biomechanics
  • Foot posture
  • Changes in playing surface and/or footwear 

Aggravating factors:

There are a range of aggravating factors that can be linked to a worsening of the condition.  

  • Ascending and descending stairs
  • Jumping
  • Squatting
  • Running
  • Hopping
  • Kneeling down
  • Prolong sitting

Symptoms:

  • Pain around the front of the knee
  • Pain during activities and/or exercise that repeatedly bend the knee such as squatting, jumping
  • Pain during prolonged sitting with knees bent
  • Pain with increased loading such as running, playing surface and/ or equipment
  • Usually affects one knee but in severe cases may affect both knees
  • Crackling or popping sounds in the knee when ascending stairs and standing up after prolonged sitting

 Assessment:

Your physiotherapist will provide a correct diagnosis of your condition based on your clinical examination, symptom behaviour and history.

Treatment

There is evidence physiotherapy intervention has a very positive and effective role in both short and long term for kneecap pain. Physiotherapy treatment initially aims to reduce both inflammation and pain. Once this has been achieved, physiotherapy treatment then aims to correct the cause to prevent reoccurrence in the long-term. 

Physiotherapy treatment for knee pain includes the following: 

  • Education, advice and assurance
  •  Activity modifications to correct overloading of the patellofemoral joint
  • Manual Therapy 
  • Taping to offload the joint and/ or keep it in an optimal position
  • Bracing
  • Electrotherapy
  • Exercise prescription ie to target the vastus medialis oblique (VMO) muscle
  • Self- management program

Speak with our qualified physiotherapists today

If you’re struggling with patellofemoral knee pain, then get in touch with the team at Edgewater Physiotherapy. Our expert hands are always here to help and will get you back up and running before you know it.