ORTHOPEDIC & SPORTS INJURIES
We Treat Muscle, Bone & Joint Pains and Injuries
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Home > Blog > Knee Injuries > Runners Knee
Runners knee is one of the most common causes of anterior (front) knee pain and attributes for 25% of all knee pains and injuries seen and treated in sports injury and physiotherapy clinics including Phoenix Rehab.
Also known as "Patellofemoral Syndrome" or "Anterior Knee Pain", it can also cause pain to be referred
the patient's knee cap.
It is mainly caused and exacerbated by the way our knee cap moves that causes friction at the back of the knee. Unfortunately the symptoms of runners knee comes and goes depending on your activity levels...and runners knee doesn't only affect runners - it affects both active and sedentary people eg office workers, teachers, housewives, executives etc.
Runners knee was originally thought to be caused by the way our patella (our kneecap) moves unnaturally, causing additional stress on the cartilage which leads to pain.
You see our kneecap rests/sits in a groove (medically termed as the patellar or trochlear groove) right in front of the knee on the femur (our thigh bone) and is lined with very thick layer of cartilage. The kneecap is quite mobile, it can:
There are a few reasons that can influence or stop the patella from moving properly, all of which increases the forces and friction going through the kneecap, causing and exacerbating patella femoral syndrome.
These include:
Runners knee doesn't tend to be a traumatic or sudden issue - it normally develops over time.
Most patients describe/report it as an ache near and around their kneecap, usually underneath or at the sides of the patellar.
In some cases, there may be also presence of "crepitus", which means
which is caused by friction on the knee cap.
There are also instances of mild to moderate stiffness and swelling in the affected knee too.
Pain in runners knee tends to not always be there (comes and goes) but will worsen with:
Physiotherapy treatment for Runners Knee aims to reduce the kneecap pain and swelling, and address any muscle imbalance in the leg. The most common physiotherapy treatments for patellofemoral syndrome are:
Recovery for runners knee can take anything from 6 weeks to six months with physiotherapy.
In the early stages of physio, we will focus more on taking the pains away first, then focusing on strengthening and stretching to improve muscle strength, length and stability.
We also have to ramp up your strength over time, allowing your muscles to rest to grow in between sessions, so pacing and resting is equally important part of recovery too.
Between physiotherapy sessions, other than doing what our senior physios teach you to do, you can also participate in lower-impact exercises such as
If you really want to run during this time, please ensure that you have a really good pair of running shoes and try to avoid hills/trains/terrains/hard concrete floor running as these increases the impact and strain on the knees.
References
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Phoenix Rehab Group works with specialist physiotherapists and rehab therapists who are highly trained, qualified, experienced and passionate to provide high level of expert care to our patients.
HAND THERAPY & CUSTOMIZED SPLINTING
Patients who sustained injuries to their elbows, forearms, hands, wrists (sprains and fractures) and fingers, usually will benefit / require Hand Therapy to
Commonly treated hand pain injuries includes
REFORMER CLINICAL PILATES & WELLNESS PILATES
Clinical Pilates is a form of physical exercise that focuses on posture, core stability, balance, control, strength, flexibility and breathing.
It is a system of safe and effective exercises, which meet specific individual needs, to treat a wide range of injuries and conditions.
You may do Pilates as matwork or with the reformer or both, and every session will be customized 100% to your fitness, injury and tolerance.
TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE (TCM)
DEEP TISSUE RELEASE & SPORTS MASSAGE THERAPY
Sports and deep tissue release massage helps to increase nutrient-rich blood flow to tired, tight and tense muscles to accelerate recovery and shorten downtime / recovery period required.
It also prevents muscles from scar tissue micro-tears (and potential ruptures), and increases muscle performance. Having regular deep tissue and sports massage will keep your muscles healthy and fit with body/movement-confidence.
Read the benefits of regular deep tissue release therapy here.
ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES
All our allied health therapists and TCM physicians are fully insured and registered with Allied Health Professions Council (AHPC) and Traditional Chinese Medicine Board (TCMB).
See our entire team here with introductions and their specializations.
At the first session, our specialist physiotherapists will carry out a thorough assessment, helping them to select the most appropriate treatment to help you recover as well as provide treatment in the same session.
Follow up sessions are inline to provide expert treatment for your pain as well as prescribing specific exercises to reduce your risk of re-injury and giving you a long term solution.
We appreciate you as our valued clients and want you to know that the # 1 way we grow as a clinic / brand is through word of mouth referrals from valued patients like yourself.
We prefer not to rely on advertising - instead, we prefer and appreciate the goodwill and positive reinforcement from patients. When you have the chance, please tell your family, friends and physicians about the positive results and experience you have had in our physio clinics.
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