Did you know?
42% of all overuse injuries affect the knee joint!

Common Knee Diagnoses

• ACL Surgery
• Knee Pain
• Chondromalacia/Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
• IT Band Syndrome
• Meniscus Tear
• Total Knee Replacement

Knee Pain and Running – Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS)
Patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as “runner’s knee,” is the most common overuse injury.

• Symptoms include tenderness behind or around the patella (knee cap), cracking, feeling that the knee is giving out and pain with stairs, hills and uneven surfaces.
• According to the British Journal of Sports Medicine, PFPS strikes mostly young, recreational runners and twice as many women as men. Women tend to have wider hips resulting in greater angling of the thighbone to the knee and increased stress on the knee cap.

PFPS can have several different causes:

• Poor hip or knee alignment, usually caused by weak gluteal muscles
• Worn cartilage in the knee, which reduces shock absorption
• High arches of the feet or flat feet
• Tight hamstrings or calf muscles, which can place imbalanced pressures on the knee
• Weak quadriceps muscles causing the knee cap to track out of alignment

At Westwood Physical Therapy our treatment for PFPS consists of evaluation of your walking and running stride, strengthening exercises to correct any muscle imbalances,  flexibility training and education on proper footwear and/or orthotics.

If you have pain or limitation in your knees, we can help! Call Westwood Physical Therapy to schedule an appointment with one of our therapists.