Suffering Pain on Top of Kneecap? Kneecap Pain
Kneecap Pain (maltracking) or Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) is a very common knee complaint at City Physio! It causes pain in the front of the knee with prolonged sitting, aching at night, often worsens with walking or running and is most notably aggravated descending stairs! It is most often called Runner’s knee as it occurs most frequently in running populations, though it is documented to be more prevalent in active females or those that rapidly increase their training over short periods. At City Physio we often see maltracking in Powerlifters, runners and those that compete in longggg walks (such as Oxfam Trail Walker) without sufficient training.
Most commonly, maltracking is caused by poor tracking of the kneecap in its joint surface due to a lack of stability in the knee or hip. This causes inflammation of the kneecap itself and the smooth joint surface below it due to the imbalanced friction. In essence, Runner’s Knee is a biomechanical injury due to muscle imbalances around the hip and knee where the knee and pelvic stability cannot keep up with the increased demands.
At City Physio, we always say your rehab for Kneecap Pain falls into 3 Phases. Phase 1 is always pain relief! Your physio will work with you to modify activities to unload the knee joint in the short term and settle inflammation- such as foam rolling, specific muscle release and taping. Phase 2 is identification and correction of the “hip knee angle” with a biomechanical analysis to identify the weak/ overloaded structures and then introduce stability work for the structures not pulling their weight! Ie: glutes and VMO. Phase 3 is an efficient return to sport or activity without relapse! This may involve specific warm-up drills, changes to toe in/out angle in cyclists, or the addition of specific glute strengthening exercises to help balance a strength or running program
Knee Pain Running
Runner’s knee, or Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome is a very common knee complaint at City Physio! It causes pain in the front of the knee with prolonged sitting, aching at night, often worsens with walking or running and is most notably aggravated descending stairs! It is most often called Runner’s knee as it occurs most frequently in running populations, though it is documented to be more prevalent in active females or those that rapidly increase their training.
Most commonly, Runner’s Knee is caused by poor tracking of the kneecap in its joint surface. This causes inflammation of the kneecap itself and the smooth joint surface below it due to the inbalanced friction. In essence, Runner’s Knee is a biomechanical injury due to muscle imbalances around the hip and knee or rapid increases in activity levels where knee and pelvic stability cannot keep up with the increased demands.
At City Physio, we always say your rehab for Runner’s Knee falls into 3 Phases. Phase 1 is always pain relief! Your physio will work with you to modify activities to unload the knee joint and settle inflammation- such as foam rolling, specific muscle release and taping, and maybe even recommend switching out the running shoes for cycling for a short period. Phase 2 is identification and correction of the “hip knee angle” with a biomechanical analysis to identify the weak/ overloaded structures and then introduce stability work for the structures not pulling their weight! Ie: glutes and VMO. Phase 3 is efficient return to sport or activity without relapse! This may involve specific warm up drills, changes to toe in/out angle in cyclists, or the addition of specific glute strengthening exercises to help balance a strength or running program
Your physiotherapist will do a full subjective and objective assessment of your knee considering a wide range of factors including referred pain from the low back or pelvis, the mechanics of the whole lower limb, strength and balance of the muscles surrounding the hip and knee, squat technique, motor control and biomechanical analysis.
Jumper’s knee
Jumper’s Knee, also known as patellar tendonitis is a painful condition of the tendon that connects the kneecap, or patella to the shin bone.
Jumper’s knee, similar to Runner’s Knee is caused by an overuse of the knee without the biomechanical stability required. Jumper’s knee is usually sports-related and often associated with sports that require leg muscle contraction and a jumping force. This places undue stress on the tendon itself when performed repeatedly and can cause the tendon to become inflamed. The most common symptoms of Jumper’s knee is pain and tenderness on the patella tendon, swelling, pain with jumping, walking and running, discomfort when bending or straightening the knee.
At City Physio, we always say your rehab for Jumper’s Knee falls into 3 Phases. Phase 1 is always pain relief! Your physio will work with you to modify activities to unload the knee joint and settle inflammation- such as foam rolling, specific muscle release and taping, and maybe even recommend switching out jumping or running for cycling or swimming for a short period. Phase 2 is identification and correction of the “hip knee angle” with a biomechanical analysis to identify the weak/ overloaded structures and then introduce stability work for the structures not pulling their weight! Ie: glutes and VMO in most cases. Phase 3 is efficient return to sport or activity without relapse! This may involve specific warm up drills, changes to jumping or landing mechanics or the addition of specific glute strengthening exercises to help balance a strength or running program
Your physiotherapist will do a full subjective and objective assessment of your knee considering a wide range of factors including referred pain from the low back or pelvis, the mechanics of the whole lower limb, strength and balance of the muscles surrounding the hip and knee, squat technique, motor control and biomechanical analysis.
Patella tendonitis
Patella tendonitis is a painful condition of the tendon that connects the kneecap, or patella to the shin bone.
Patella tendonitis is caused by an overuse of the knee without the biomechanical stability required. Patella tendonitis is usually sports-related and often associated with sports that require leg muscle contraction and a jumping or running type force. This places undue stress on the tendon itself when performed repeatedly and can cause the tendon to become inflamed. The most common symptoms of patella tendonitis is pain and tenderness on the patella tendon, pain kneeling on the knee, localised swelling, pain with jumping, walking and running, discomfort when bending or straightening the knee.
At City Physio, we always say your rehab for tendonitis always requires a 3 phase approach. Phase 1 is always pain relief! Your physio will work with you to modify activities to unload the knee joint and settle inflammation- such as foam rolling, specific muscle release and taping, and maybe even recommend switching out high impact activities for cycling or swimming for a short period. Phase 2 is identification and correction of the “hip knee angle” with a biomechanical analysis to identify the weak/ overloaded structures and then introduce stability work for the structures not pulling their weight! Ie: glutes and VMO in most cases. Phase 3 is efficient return to sport or activity without relapse! This may involve specific warm up drills, changes to jumping or landing mechanics or the addition of specific glute strengthening exercises to help balance a strength or running program
Your physiotherapist will do a full subjective and objective assessment of your knee considering a wide range of factors including referred pain from the low back or pelvis, the mechanics of the whole lower limb, strength and balance of the muscles surrounding the hip and knee, squat technique, motor control and biomechanical analysis.