If you suffer from knee pain, you’re certainly not
alone. This is very common and
there are a number of different types.
This article focuses on Patello-Femoral Syndrome or Chondromalacia
Patellae, which is often referred to as “runner’s knee”.
Symptoms of Knee PainCharacterized by pain between the kneecap (patella) and
underlying bone (femur), Patello-Femoral Syndrome, also called Anterior Knee
Pain, is the most common form of chronic knee pain. The front of the knee is tender and people who suffer from
this condition often experience a grinding or crunching sensation in the
joint. Pain is at its worst when
you first get up from a chair, climb a set of stairs or begin to move again
after a long period of rest.
Causes of Knee PainYour knee pain can be attributed to a number of factors such
as sports injuries or trauma from an accident. But in most cases, general wear and tear is the primary
cause of knee pain and is unfortunately part of the degenerative aging
process. Over time, the cartilage
behind your kneecap softens and wears out, which results in soft tissue tears
and breaks. Even if you are still
relatively young, years of strenuous activity including running, cycling,
soccer, rugby or general labour can affect your knees and accelerate the
erosion of knee cartilage.
Your Knee Pain and Foot BiomechanicsIn addition to the contributory factors listed above, the
biomechanics of your foot also play a significant role in Patello-Femoral
pain. The vast majority of health
practitioners claim that the positioning of our feet, and therefore, the way we
walk, has a profound effect on our lower back, leg, hip and knee function.
Over-Pronation
Did you know that approximately 70% of people suffer from
over-pronation? This is a foot
condition where a lowering of the arch and an inward rolling of the ankle
occurs every time the foot lands.
In turn, this also causes the lower leg to rotate inwards.
Over-Pronation and
the Knee Joint
Your knee is a hinge joint that links your upper and lower
leg. It is designed to flex and
straighten your lower leg and unlike the ankle or hip joint, is not made to
rotate. However, for someone with over-pronation,
as their arch lowers and their ankle rolls inward, the lower leg is also forced
to rotate. This puts added stress
on the knee joint, causing poor knee function that eventually leads to excess
wear and tear. As more time
passes, this translates into long-term damage and chronic pain.
Treatments for Knee PainGiven the prevalence of over-pronation, most
physiotherapists in Canada assess the feet of patients suffering from knee
pain. Depending on the type of
knee pain, a number of suitable treatments can be recommended. Sports injuries resulting in knee pain
are often treated using the RICE method: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. One of the most common knee injuries in
rugby and soccer players is a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament.
On the other hand, “normal” knee pain, which has developed
as a result of strenuous labour or the natural process of aging, calls for a
different treatment regimen.
Although chronic knee pain is best treated by a licensed physiotherapist,
you can do quite a bit yourself.
In a worst-case scenario, surgery is the only remaining option to
achieve permanent pain relief.
Exercises for Knee PainIt is critical that you strengthen the Vastus Medialis
Oblique (VMO) muscles, which are located above and to the inside of your
kneecap. Acting as a dynamic
stabilizer for your kneecap, VMOs are part of the quadicreps and include the
muscles and ligaments in your upper leg in front of your thigh. In a perfectly functioning body, the
VMOs easily contract and stay active throughout the entire range of movement. In a body suffering from Patello-Femoral
pain, they contract inconsistently and become quickly fatigued. Strong VMOs control the tracking of the
patella as the knee is bent and straightened, by making sure the patella stays
in the patella groove. For
patients suffering from knee pain, strengthening exercises are typically highly
recommended by physiotherapists.
Knee Brace
A knee brace’s primary function is to stabilize the knee
joint. The most common is the
Patella-Femoral brace, which helps to relieve anterior knee pain through
improved patellar tracking.
Relatively inexpensive, Patella-Femoral braces can be used in
conjunction with other treatments and work to maintain patellar alignment and
tracking by resisting patellar lateral displacement.
Foot Orthotics
Also inexpensive, foot orthotics are highly effective in the
treatment of knee pain when coupled with other forms of therapy, especially
strengthening exercises. Foot
orthotics help re-align the feet and ankles to prevent internal leg rotation (a
common cause of patella mal-tracking). Many studies have shown that patella-femoral knee pain
is improved with the use of orthotic insoles. In fact, most high-level athletes wear foot orthotics to
promote proper leg, foot and knee alignment. Simply by wearing a Footlogics orthotic, proper knee function
can be restored through the correction of over-pronation. If your feet roll inwards or your
arches tend to fall as you walk, it’s likely that a pair of foot orthotics will
offer some degree of knee pain relief. |
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