HEP: Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
Patient Education
What’s going on?
The structures on or around our knee cap can cause pain.
Inflammation of these tissues can be caused by either recent or new repetitive activity, which leads to overuse and/or strain.
As a result, you may feel pain on the underside of the knee cap.
Exacerbation of this pain occurs when getting up from sitting, negotiating stairs or running, jumping and squatting during sports.
How long will it take?
When allowed appropriate time to rest combined with an appropriate home exercise program that aims to restore optimal postural alignment, muscle strength and minimize stress on involved tissues, this condition will take about six weeks to fully recover.
How will we treat your condition at IHSM?
At IHSM, a doctor of physical therapy will perform a detailed physical examination to determine what specific muscle weakness, as well as movements, may have brought on your pain. Based on the findings, your therapist will design a specific treatment plan to help you recover.
This will include an exercise program that aims to increase strength and flexibility of your hip and knee muscles including the gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, and the quadriceps femoris.
Your therapist may also work with you to help explore ways to perform bothersome activities in a more comfortable manner that won’t interfere with tissue healing.
As a movement specialist, your therapist will help train you to move with appropriate lower limb postures during squat, running, stairs, and sit to stand.
As needed, your therapist may manage foot postures with taping or orthotics.
Modalities such as acupuncture, ice, infrared heat or electrical stimulation may also be used to control the pain or inflammation.
What can you do to help yourself?
Temporarily avoid activities that increase stress on the involved tissues, including deep squats, the elliptical machine, running, or stair stepper.
Adherence to your home exercise program is essential to ensure an optimal recovery.
You may apply ice or heat pack to your anterior knee to increase decrease pain and increase blood flow.
Refrain from performing activities that exacerbate the pain.
Instructions:
You can do the hamstring stretch right away. When your knee is less painful, you can do the quadriceps stretch and start strengthening the thigh muscles with the rest of the exercises.
About IHSM
Integrative Health and Sports Medicine, LLC is a one-stop health and wellness center. Our mission is to restore our patients to a healthy, pain-free, and productive life. By combining orthopedic physical therapy techniques, sports medicine, acupuncture, and Chinese medicine, we are able to treat conditions and achieve results in cases that have not responded well to modern Western medicine.
We are located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Please email us at info@integrativesports.com to schedule a consultation and let us help you on your journey to optimal health.