Why Runner’s Knee Isn’t Just for Runners: Identifying and Treating Patellofemoral Pain

The name is a bit misleading. 

Runner's knee (also called patellofemoral pain syndrome) sounds like a condition that only affects athletes. But the truth is, you don't have to run a single step to end up with that nagging ache around the front of your knee.

If you feel pain under or around your kneecap that gets worse when you climb stairs, sit for long periods, or squat, there's a good chance you’re experiencing patellofemoral pain.

Tony “Dr. Z” Zemlinsky, DC, at Active Rehab Clinics in Bucktown, Chicago, and Park Ridge, Illinois, explains more in this month’s blog.

What’s going on?

Your kneecap (patella) sits in a groove at the end of your femur and glides up and down as you bend and straighten your leg. 

Muscle imbalances, poor alignment, or gait issues can prevent your kneecap from tracking properly. That misalignment creates friction and pressure between the kneecap and the cartilage beneath it; over time, that adds up to pain.

You might develop patellofemoral pain syndrome from:

• Sitting at a desk for hours with your knees bent at a fixed angle
• Hiking, cycling, or playing recreational sports
• Suddenly increasing physical activity
  

Weak hip or quadriceps muscles can throw off your lower body mechanics. So your knee pain may be a hip problem in disguise.

Don’t wait for it to get worse

You may learn to work around patellofemoral pain by taking the elevator instead of the stairs, skipping your usual workout, or adjusting how you sit. And because it's not always sharp or sudden, it's easy to put off doing anything about it.

But ignoring it tends to make things worse. The movement compensations you make to protect your knee can create problems in your lower back, hips, and ankles. At Active Rehab Clinics, Dr. Z sees this pattern regularly and can help.

How we treat it

Patellofemoral pain responds well to the right treatment, which doesn’t have to mean weeks of rest and ice. Dr. Z treats a range of knee conditions, including Osgood-Schlatter disease, which also affects the patellar tendon and shows up most often in active adolescents. 

Patellofemoral pain is a different problem, but his approach is the same: find the root cause, don't just treat the symptoms.

Dr. Z takes a holistic approach, starting with a thorough movement assessment to understand where your pain comes from and why it's occurring. Your customized treatment may include:

• Chiropractic care
• Targeted land-based exercises 
• Aquatic therapy using the Burdenko Method

Once you're moving well again, our fitness and performance arm at 1Stronger offers strength and conditioning programming to keep you out of the pain cycle for good.

When to come in

If your knee bothers you for more than a week or two, or affects your ability to keep up with your routine, that's your cue to schedule an evaluation. You don't have to be a runner, an athlete, or even particularly active to benefit from an assessment.

Schedule an appointment at Active Rehab Clinics by phone or online today.