Patellofemoral Information

About Patellofemoral

About Patellofemoral in Q&A

What makes patellofemoral syndrome pain not so bad? im 13 and i have patellofemoral syndrome and my knees hurt a lot. What are some ways that really do relieve the pain? What braces work? do the shoe inserts help? do excersizes work? thx for the answers

Richard C replied: "Here are some easy exercises for you to do. Sit in a long sitting position. Place a large towel roll under the knee and have the muscles of the knee push down into the towel roll. Hold for a few seconds and relax. Do that ten to fifteen times. This can be done as many times a day as you like. From the same position place a large can of tomato juice or some other product under the knee. Place a towel on top of the can to add some . Place a light weigh across the ankle and slowly elevate the foot off the floor until the knee is straight. Hold for a second or two and slowly return to the floor. Do that fifteen times and rest. Do that cycle three times. Slowly add weight to this movement. You can lift as much as you are comfortable with but if you get above fifteen to twenty pounds you are going to have to start lifting with specific equipment. Lastly get a 2x4 or book of about the same size. Place the involved leg on the board or book lengthwise. Now straighten that knee and elevate the body. Do that ten times and rest. Those movements will help to stabilize the knee. Most patella tracking braces are good but if the exercises work you will not need one. If there is no improvement in a week or two then get a referral to a physical therapist who will help you with this problem."

Pete replied: "Your kneecap is not pulling in the right direction which means it rubs on your knee joint and makes it ache so bad. The better your kneecap (patella) moves the less it will hurt. Shoe inserts help make things work better and they don't hurt, You can exercise your knee so you build up the muscles on the inside of your knee, so it moves better. That usually takes all the pain away, see a Physio (Physical Therapist) who will show you how to do this.. You can fix this."

LloydTheFootMan replied: "The other contributors have addressed the physical therapy side of things, so I thought I would address the shoes and inserts. Orthotics can be very helpful in treating patellofemoral pain syndrome (there is significant research to support this). But what needs to be identified is if there is a biochemanical problem with the way your feet and legs are working to be causing this pain. Patellofemoral pain syndrome is often seen in people with rolled in (excessively pronated), flatter feet. This is because it can cause twisting of the lower leg, causing the knee cap to mal-track. Have you a look at your foot type and see if you have problems with fallen arches, rolled in feet etc. Custom Foot Orthotics are commonly implemented for patellofemoral pain syndrome. Check out this link for more on how Custom Foot Orthotics can help knee pain. Regards, Lloyd"

Can I exercise if I have Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome? I do leg squats with 10 to 30 pounds dumbells, I have the Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome. But the MRI shows that my cartilages are fine, and my knee is fine. Can I continue my exercises to build stronger legs? I'm worry that it might make the pain worse or something.

Jessie replied: "Some exercises help strengthen your muscles and relieve your pain. The link i provided has 9 exercises that are good to do if u have PPS. Check it out and best of luck to ya! =o)"

What does narrowing of the patellofemoral joint with small associated joint effusion mean? This is a knee MRI result. What does this mean? Is this serious? Thanks in advance.

b8k3p replied: "No, it's not serious -- basically, it means that the space between your knee-cap and your thigh-bone is a little less than what the doctor considers "normal" and that there's a little fluid in there. It could just be something like... you injured your knee, and it's healing... or you have arthritis in your knee... or something fun like that."

Is my knee pain Patellofemoral pain syndrome? I have been having knee pain for nearly two months now, but recently it has gotten worse, so I did some research on the internet. I think I have patellofemoral pain syndrome. Does anyone else out there know anything about this and its prognosis? Would the doctor tell me to go to physical therapy? My symptoms: Ache in knee after sitting with knee bent after long periods of time, pain when squatting and lunging. I can run and everything fine though? So do I you think I have this?

booklover 8 replied: "the only way u are going to find out is by going to the dr."

Elmo replied: "No, basically all knne problems, no matter how small, get that symptom, usually along with others. By the sounds of it, you may not even have a problem, but need to stretch your knees or they are just getting worn. Get an xray and go to a specialist to check."

What are some ways to ease the pain for someone who has Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome? Patellorfemorl Pain Syndrome is also known as runner's knee. My doctor said just to put ice on my knees when they hurt, but it doesn't seem to help. Neither does heat. Does anyone know anything that might ease the pain?

Z H replied: "tylenol an open velcro type knee brace ibuprofen 3 or 4 over the counter pills 3 x a day with food"

Keko replied: "Much pain is from muscles below is an example of what may help (based on headaches). Begin with a couple swigs of molasses or a couple of bananas daily - magnesium (which regulates many things in the body) and potassium (a needed building block for muscles). Drink at least 1/2 gallons of water per day. Running a body low on water is like running a car low on oil is the analogy the head of neurology at UCDavis told my husband about 10 years ago. Now to the cause - muscles - your back, neck shoulders and head have tender spots. They are knots in the fibers of the muscles called trigger points. It makes the muscles tight which makes them press on nerves and other things causing the pain. The cure - start with a professional massage, you will also want to go back over any place you can get to 6-12 times per session up to 6 times per day rubbing (or lightly scratching on your head) every where that is tender until the knots go away. The place where the skull connects to the spine press up under the edge of the skull (to get to those muscles). For more information read The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Davies. It teaches what to do and where the pain comes from."

Does anyone know the recoevery time of a Patellofemoral replacement? I am 36 years old female, little overweight, and my doctor is considering this surgery. I have already had my kneecap resurfaced twice, just 2 months ago and 6 years when I had my ACL replaced. I have tried looking online but it's very hard to find.

~Dea-Lynn~ replied: "i too am looking to have this surgery done following a patella resurfacing and lateral release in June, but since then my knee has been giving out more again and my doc has now suggested that i have this done or a TTT or even both if the damage is suffucient enough when he goes in... i too havent seen much info on this surgery but from what i have seen and found it appears to be similar to the ACL reconsruction as far as the rehab goes but before u are NWB for 2-4 weeks and locked at zero degrees which is graduadualy increased to 90 before starting PT at week 6 if u find out any additional info let me know my email is"

Is there anything you can do for Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome? Im 15, and may have this condition. Is there anything I can do? I've been in constant pain for about a year and a half, and im pretty much over it.. Pain killers dont work, i've had quaterzone injections and been on medicine that is ment to make the pain better in under 2 months ( Lyrica ).. But nothing is making the pain any better. Is there anything more I can do to help it?

ttpawpaw replied: "try starting here See if those help.pp"

How to help heal Patellofemoral Syndrome? I'm an active soccer player and have had horrible pains in both knees. I looked up my symptoms and it came up as Patellofemoral syndrome. The de ion was almost identical to my symptoms and i was wondering until i can get to my doctor to get a for an MRI what i can do to relieve my pain, besides RICE (rest,ice,compression,elevation). Advil hasn't been doing much for me. Any advice? Thanks!

Gentleman replied: "You might want to talk to your local pharmacist and he may suggest Tylenol for pain or and heat ointnment and as well you may want to put ice pack on your knees . If the knees are bothering you this much stay away form soccer till you have a full prognosis on your condition . I hope the pain goes away and have a great day and good luck at the Doctor ."

patellofemoral syndrome: what can i do at home to make it stop hurting? it hurts for no reason. if i sit for a while with my knee in a certain position, or if i wear heels, my knee will hurt for days. it's so painful! i'm not running anymore because i don't want it to hurt. but now my lower back is starting to hurt as well. what is going on? i took 800mg of motrin for the inflammation, but what can i do to keep it from hurting all of the time over stupid things like my choice of shoe? yeah, i need HOME exercises and remidies.

Mike J replied: "Get it checked out by a doctor and/or a physical therapist. Maybe a massage therapist can help you too, if they have any idea what they are doing, and hardly any of them do."

Brittany replied: "There really isn't alot you can do. I have Patello-Femoral Syndrome aswell and i find the only way to reduce swelling and pain is to ice your knees. Also if your exercising, knee braces can help with managing the pain."

Swimming drills for someone with patellofemoral pain syndrome? I have patellofemoral pain syndrome and haven't been able to swim for 6 months. Although my knees still hurt, I would really like to get back and the pool and get in shape for swimming. Anyone have any suggestions for drills I can do? I cannot do any drills that involve bending my knees (including turns and starts).

DK watts replied: "Use a pull boy. Do back strokes & croll without kicks. dk"

thefounder2000uk replied: "i would use a rubber band for my feet, so that they are together, and also the pull buoy between my thighs. this way, the legs one seperate above and/or below the knee. this will however, cause your legs to sink slightly at your feet, and will require greater use of arms. mixing freestyle and back arms drills, single arm/catch-up/arm cycling etc can all be easily done."

auapc replied: "Swim with a pull bouy"