Runner’s knee is a painful condition and can affect anybody, despite its name. Also called patellofemoral pain syndrome, runner’s knee is pain that occurs when the kneecap (patella) is stressed repetitively over time.
Symptoms of runner’s knee include pain around the kneecap that worsens with activity, sitting with the knees bent, and walking up or down stairs. There may also be a clicking or popping sound when you bend your knee.
Runner’s knee can be caused by a variety of factors which include:
It typically affects teenagers and young adults, and females more than males. Runner’s Knee limits activities such as climbing stairs, kneeling, running, or jumping, but with the right treatment and healing techniques, one can reduce the discomfort.
Before starting any treatment plans for this condition, your doctor must first pinpoint its cause. On the bright side, runner’s knee typically doesn’t require any surgical treatment, except when the cartilage is damaged, or the kneecap is displaced entirely. Instead, we generally recommend taking prescribed pain-relief medications and following the popular RICE technique:
In more severe cases, you may have to undergo physiotherapy as well. In any case however, we recommend regularly doing knee and foot exercises to help strengthen the knee – we can help formulate a specialized treatment plan for you, after a consultation.
Based in Singapore, Degree in Podiatric Medicine from the University of Johannesburg. Published in The Foot and member of The Golden Key Honour Society.