Do you constantly experience that nagging pain around your knee?
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) is a chronic condition where pain arises from the patellofemoral joint and can be felt at the front, side and back of the knee.
The cause of PFPS remains without clear consensus but it can be attributed to many varying causes. The most common factors for this condition include overuse activities such as:
- excessive running
- squatting
- climbing stairs
Other contributing factors include:
- direct trauma to the knee joint
- muscular malalignment of the structures of the knee
- muscular weakness.
PFPS occurs when the nerves within the patella sense pain within the structures within the kneecap. These structures can include tendons, fat pads under the patella and the synovial tissue that lines the joint. PFPS is often referred to as ‘Runner’s Knee” or “Jumper’s Knee “and is more prevalent in adolescents and athletes, due to the overuse of the muscles and joints within their chosen sports. However, female athletes are more prevalent to experience PFPS due to the biomechanics and anatomical alignment associated with females.
Studies have been conducted where PFPS sufferers have received either massage treatments and / or corrective exercise programs as a remedy for treatment. The best corrective exercises for treating Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome are hip and knee corrective exercises. By prescribing hip and knee corrective exercises to clients with this syndrome along with some manual massage therapy, it has been proven that it can help reduce pain levels and improve daily function.
Don't let your persistent leg pain get the best of you. Book in a treatment with one of our Myotherapists at CHH today!