Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

One of the more common reasons individuals seek out medical care is for pain in the kneecaps. This is also called patellofemoral pain and can be due to a combination of issues. It is often described as an aching pain, but can be sharp at times depending on the activity and/or position of the knee. These include sitting for long periods of time, sitting cross-legged, going up and down stairs, and running/jumping activities. The good news is surgery is almost never required for patellofemoral pain and will often be resolved with conservative management including physical therapy.

The best way to think about patellofemoral pain is from a bio-mechanical standpoint. In other words, it is related to how you move that is often the culprit for this issue. It is the job of your physical therapist to identify the impairments that are contributing to increased strain to the knee with the causal activities. This may include, but not limited to decreased quadriceps mobility/flexibility, decreased gluteal strength, decreased quadriceps strength, decreased kneecap mobility, decreased ankle range of motion, and decreased strength or control of the foot.

All of the aforementioned impairments can be addressed in physical therapy. We utilize manual therapies such as soft-tissue mobilization and joint mobilization and therapeutic exercise to address those impairments. We can help to create a program that you can continue to complete at home to make sure this issue remains in the past and keep you performing the activities you love. The physical therapists here at Paulseth PT can also create custom orthotics on site to address any foot issues that may be contributing to the knee pain.

Do not let that annoying knee pain that has been growing since you started working at home or running/walking slow you down. Give us a call to get you back to a pain-free way of life!