Patellofemoral Pain - Knee pain

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) is a general pain felt over the front of the knee, specifically under or around the patella or knee cap. Patients with knee pain commonly have weakened hip musculature which leads to additional stress placed across the knee joint. Recent literature indicates patients with PFPS demonstrate significantly less hip strength than an asymptomatic control group (Bolgia et al, 2008) in a January article within the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy.

Knee pain on one side of the body is a strong indicator of an underlying mechanical dysfunction or joint malalignment across the pelvis, hip, knee, or ankle joints. Additionally, these dysfunctions are associated with muscle imbalances which contribute to overuse injuries within the lower extremity.

Physical Therapists are highly trained, licensed professionals able to evaluate and diagnosis the cause of your chronic knee pain or overuse injury. Ensure that your physical therapist has advanced training in musculoskeletal evaluation and manual therapy treatment techniques to enable them to treat the causes of your problem not just the symptoms.