Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is characterised by generalised pain or tenderness in the front of the knee and is usually aggravated by running, stairs, and squatting. PFP accounts for 33% and 18% of all knee injuries for female and male athletes respectively. PFP in athletes can significantly impact performance and daily activities, making it crucial to understand its causes and contributors. Whether it stems from overuse, acute injury or underlying biomechanical deficits, addressing knee pain quickly and effectively can not only reduce your pain but also improve your athletic performance.
Common contributors to no acute knee pain include:
- Reduced quadriceps strength
- Reduced hip strength
- Reduced landing control or shock absorption
- Altered running mechanics
An example of what your physiotherapy sessions would look like:
Week 1
- Thorough assessment
- Variety of in session techniques – hands on pain management (soft tissue work), taping of knee or foot
- Modifying your activities to keep you in the sport you love but with less pain
- Home exercise program addressing your specific ‘work ons’
- Hip strength – hip abductions, crab walks, hip hitches, bridges
- Knee strength – leg extension, terminal knee extensions, squats
- Core control – dead bugs, planks
- Reassess your work ons
- Reduce activity modifications as able
- Assess with AXIT equipment
- Progress your exercises
- Hip strength – Side bridges, twistys, hip thrusts
- Knee strength – Single leg squats, split squats
- Continue core control – pallof press, dead bugs, planks, v sits
- Introduce jumping and landing control, controlled plyometrics
BOOK ONLINE today and see one of our expert physiotherapists to help reduce your knee pain and improve your performance
