Patellofemoral pain (PFP) or knee pain is one of the most common injuries our physios provide rehab for. PFP occurs at the kneecap, and this is commonly due to the kneecap not sliding through its groove in an optimal way. Occasionally, PFP can result from trauma to the knee or surrounding muscles. The good news is PFP is very treatable. The most common cause of PFP is a sudden spike in training load and is common in people all across the lifespan.
Another two common causes of PFP are reduced control around the hip and knee. Have you heard of your glute muscles? Their job is to control dynamic valgus of the thigh, or put simply, to stop your knee rolling in when you are standing on one leg. The kneecap is also a slave to the quadricep muscles or the muscles across the front of the thigh. If there is an imbalance in these muscles, when coupled with glute weakness, the kneecap may become irritated.Â
Our physios are highly skilled in both the detection of these control issues and the prescription of strength exercises to build the capacity of both the glute and quadricep muscles. Exercise is the most important part of rehabbing PFP, however, hands on management such as massage, dry needling and taping may also be used.Â
If you are suffering from knee pain and think it could be PFP, we would love to help you get back to what you love doing. Call us today on 0423 956 642 or head to our online bookings link on the top of this page.