What's Anterior Knee Pain?

Anterior knee pain is also known as patellofemoral pain syndrome. The knee cap’s scientific name is patella and this is the part of the knee that’s mainly affected when a person has this problem. And since most people who are affected by this experience knee pain from running, it is also popularly known as runner’s knee.

The problem could also go beyond the knee cap too, as there are cases wherein the tissues and cartilages underneath the knee cap can start to soften and even deteriorate. And since these can no longer support the patella efficiently, pain and other knee problems can be experienced. If therapy is recommended, one can adopt patellofemoral pain syndrome exercises.

Understanding Anterior knee pain from running

The knee’s basic structure puts the patella or knee cap right in front of the entire knee mechanism. When a person moves such as when one goes for a walk, the knee bends and the knee cap glides so as to accommodate such movements.

If the surrounding tissues and muscles on the patella are not that strong and well-established, this could greatly affect the knee cap tracking and can cause pain to a person. And if the activities engaged in are really intense such as when one is into physical sports or training exercises, improper patella tracking can even lead to injury.

There are also cases wherein the abnormal positioning of the patella is inborn. And if there’s a poor alignment of the knee cap to the rest of the bones in the same area, this makes a person prone to knee pain and injuries. That’s why experiencing knee pain from running is a common occurrence to those who have this case.

Causes of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

The internal mechanism of the knee which could be affected by poor patella tracking can be one of the main reasons for developing PFPS. Moreover, if one is always engaged in activities and sports such as football, basketball, cycling, skiing, and the like, it also makes a person vulnerable to such problem.

You will notice that all the aforementioned activities demand a lot of work on the knees. The legs and feet need to maintain balance, and the knees are twisted in different directions when running, jumping, and dealing with obstacles on said sports. It is for this reason why athletes often suffer from leg and knee injuries.

And there are other factors that can lead to the development of runner’s knee too, even if you are not that active in sports and other similar activities. Studies show that having flat feet also makes one prone to anterior knee pain. The reason for this is that flat footed people can’t support their body weight properly and their knee joints can become overloaded with pressure from their body weight.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome exercises Can Help Ease the Pain of Anterior Knee Pain

The pain associated with PFPS varies from person to person. When treated immediately by engaging in patellofemoral pain syndrome exercises, the symptoms can be alleviated right away. Performing such exercises regularly can also help avoid future knee problems.

When the pain and symptoms are ignored and if rest is not immediately undertaken, the symptoms can aggravate as well as the pain. And in situations like this, healing and rehabilitation can take a long time.

Most common cause of knee pain from running

You may have had an episode of knee pain from running. This is a common problem especially for
sportspeople who put excessive stress on their knees. This culminates in a medical condition where there is pain around the front area of the knee. This is medically referred to as anterior knee pain syndrome, chondromalacia patella, patellofemoral mal-alignment or more commonly, the patellofemoral pain.

Causes

The knee is a very complex joint. It is made up of various different tissues. This means that there are many factors that may precipitate in anterior knee pain syndrome. This could be problems arising from the bones, muscles or other connective tissues in the knee.
The most common causes of runner’s knee include;

• Misalignment of the kneecap
• Dislocation of the knee which may be partial or complete
• Trauma or injury to the knee; this could be direct or indirect
• Myopathy; this is a problem with the muscles around the knee or those that move the knee. The problem could be weakness, imbalance or tightness among other things.
• Individuals with flat feet frequently experience the problem
• Overuse pain is common to people who walk stand or run for extended duration.
• Irritation of the knee joint tissue is also fairly common in active sportsmen and women
• Wearing off of the cartilage or synovial membrane that lines the knee may result in pain in the joint

Presentation of symptoms

People with this problem complain of a dull ache or pain beneath or around the kneecap. The pain is often localized around the lower end of the thigh. Mostlythepain will be made worse or be precipitated by walking especially up and down the stairs, activities that bend and stress the knee such as kneeling, sitting for long periods and squatting. All these activities make the pain worse if they are done for extended durations.

Diagnosis

A medical history will be taken whereby you will be asked about the symptoms. Be as honest as possible. You will then undergo a physical examination aimed at assessing various attributes of your knee such as strength, mobility and congruency or alignment.

Depending on your condition the doctor may ask that you undertake some diagnostic imaging procedures to assess the structure and extent of damage to your knee. Such imaging techniques could be x-ray, MRI or CT scans.

Treatment
After a medical review has been done on the affected knee, the doctor will then decide on the most fitting course of treatment for your condition.

Most people only require adequate rest and appropriate patellofemoral pain syndrome exercises to alleviate the condition.

Symptomatic relief to the pain may be achieved by painkillers especially NSAID drugs such as aspirin.
You may be issued with special braces or tapes for supporting your knee during activities such as sports. Special shoe insets known as orthotics may be also prescribed.

Surgical maneuvers may be necessary in some cases. The procedures include: arthroscopy and realignment procedures.

Prevention

Physical fitness is crucial in preventing anterior knee pain. In sports a proper warm up is always advised. The training or exercise should be progressive beginning from simple to more complex activities.
Proper running gear and form are also excellent in preventing anterior knee pain.