Injury Spotlight: Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

      Patellofemoral pain syndrome, often referred to as “runner’s knee”, is one of the most common causes of knee pain. PFPS is a common injury seen in adolescent athletes, particularly females. It is caused by an imbalance of forces placed through the patella, or kneecap. The amount of stress placed on the patellofemoral joint varies during certain activities, ranging from about ⅓ to ½ of body weight during walking, 3 times body weight with stair climbing, 5 to 6 times body weight with running, and up to 7 times body weight with squatting. As you can imagine, there is a good amount of running and squatting involved in cheer and this places athletes at an increased risk of developing PFPS.

Risk Factors for Developing PFPS

• Overuse
• Patellar malalignment
• Trauma
• Poor quadriceps and hip musculature strength
• Decreased flexibility
• Excessively worn or inappropriate footwear
• Progressing activity too quickly

    Any of these factors alone could cause an athlete to develop PFPS, however if multiple of these factors are at play, that further increases the likelihood of the athlete developing PFPS. The good news is that many of these factors are preventable and/or fixable.

​Symptoms of PFPS

• Pain around the patella (kneecap) with activities that place an increased load on the knee joint - stair climbing, squatting, running, jumping
• Usually a gradual onset unless the cause is a trauma
• Giving way of the knee
• Pain and/or stiffness after prolonged sitting or bending knees
• Pain related to an increase in amount or level of activity
• Popping or cracking sounds in your knee when you first stand up after prolonged sitting or when climbing stairs

Treatment of PFPS
    Physical therapy is a key component in recovering from PFPS. A physical therapist will evaluate you to help determine what the cause or causes are and then develop an individualized program to address these factors. Some of the common treatment activities include:

• Stretching exercises for quadriceps and hamstrings
• Quadriceps and gluteal strengthening exercises
• Soft tissue mobilization
• Joint mobilization
• Balance and proprioception activities
• Biomechanics and technique training
• Prevention education

Prevention of PFPS
    While PFPS is usually easily resolved with physical therapy, there is a high chance that it can recur, or come back, unless changes to your training are made.

• Maintain strength and flexibility throughout quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteal muscles
• Wearing appropriate shoes and shoes that are not overly worn out
• Include a proper warm up prior to your activity, including dynamic stretches
• Gradually increase amount and intensity of activity or sport