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Runner's knee (patellofemoral pain)

Syndroma patellofemorale · Běžecké koleno (patelofemorální bolest)

What it is

Pain around or behind the kneecap from overload of the joint between the kneecap and the thigh bone — common in young active people.

Symptoms & signs

  • Dull ache around the kneecap
  • pain on stairs, squatting and after sitting long ('cinema sign')
  • a grinding feeling
  • usually no swelling

🚩 Get help if…

  • call 112 / 911 now Hot, red, swollen knee with fever
  • see a doctor soon Knee locking or giving way
  • see a doctor soon Swelling straight after a twist or fall
  • see a doctor soon Night pain or pain in a child with a limp

Where it strikes

Medical treatment

  • Hip and knee strengthening exercise (the best evidence)
  • activity modification
  • foot orthoses short term
  • NSAIDs short term

Natural & lifestyle

  • Train gradually
  • lose weight if needed
  • avoid deep squats for a while

Emerging & experimental

  • Blood-flow-restriction training
  • gait retraining

Alternative, off-label & anecdotal

Approaches used outside the guidelines, with what their supporters report and what testing has found so far.

  • Knee taping (McConnell) — trials disagree mixed evidence
  • Collagen and vitamin C before exercise — small studies early / small studies
  • Magnet therapy — anecdotal anecdotal / traditional

ICD codes