What is the real cause of Patellafemoral Syndrome?

What causes Patellafemoral Syndrome? Is it dangerous? Can it cause permanent damage to the knee?

What treatment besides icing the knee should be used?

Is there a supplement I can help alleviate it?

Does body weight make a difference in this syndrome?

I was told that I have it because of having improper muscle balance in my legs. I was also told that the condition always existed in me by a military doctor. However, I never had any pain in my knee until one day when I was running in BCT, my foot came down wrong and pain shot through my leg. Since then I have had the pain in my knee when I run great distance.

I ran cross country before the military so I know that the distance I run now in the military is not the difference. I ran 5-10 miles every other day before the military. And now, I am running 5 miles almost every day.

Patellofemoral pain is a common knee problem. If you have this condition, you feel pain under and around your kneecap. The pain can get worse when you're active or when you sit for a long time. You can have the pain in only one knee, or you can have pain in both knees.The exact cause of patellofemoral pain isn't known. It probably has something to do with the way your kneecap (called the "patella") moves on the groove of your thigh bone (called the "femur").Take a break from physical activity that causes a lot of pounding on your legs, like running, volleyball, or basketball. If you want to keep exercising, try swimming or another low-impact activity. You may want to try working out on nonimpact elliptical trainers, which are popular at gyms. Because these machines support your body weight, they put less stress on your knees. As your knees feel better, you can slowly go back to your normal sports. But do this slowly, and increase the amount of time you do the sports activity by only about 20% a week. Do the exercises mentioned here each day, exercise should take only a few minutes. Doing them twice a day is a good start. Your doctor will tell you which exercises are best for you. The most important ones are usually the first two . These two exercises make your front thigh muscles (called "quads") stronger. This is important because your quad muscles control the movement of your kneecap. Talk to your doctor about footwear. It would help to bring your shoes in for the doctor to see. Proper walking or running shoes can help knee pain. Even a simple arch support insert from a shoe store can be helpful. This insert is much less expensive than a custom-made orthotic. Ice your knees for 10 to 20 minutes after activity. This can ease the pain and speed up healing. To keep your hands free, use an elastic wrap to hold the ice pack in place. A medicine like ibuprofen (brand names: Advil, Motrin and others) may also help, but talk to your doctor before you take this medicine.
Here are some exercises to help your knee pain. After you do all the exercises , reverse your position and do the exercises with your other leg, so both knees get the benefit of stretching. 1. Quadriceps strengthening: isometrics. Sit on floor, support yourself on your elbows. Hold your right leg straight for 10 to 20 seconds and then relax. Do the exercise 5 to 10 times. 2. Quadriceps strengthening: straight leg lift. Raise your right leg several inches and hold it up for 5 to 10 seconds. Then lower your leg to the floor slowly over a few seconds. Do the exercise 5 to 10 times. 3. Sit up, with righthand on the floor. Iliotibial band and buttock stretch. Twist your trunk to the right and use your left arm to "push" your right leg. You should feel the stretch in your right buttock and the outer part of your right thigh. Hold the stretch for 10 to 20 seconds. Do the exercise 5 to 10 times. 4. Stand with your ankles crossed. Iliotibial band stretch. Position yourself, with your right leg crossed in front of your left leg. Hold your hands together and move them toward the floor. You should feel a stretch in the outer part of your left thigh. Hold the stretch for 10 to 20 seconds. Do the exercise 5 to 10 times. 5. lay on floor, holding your thigh, Hamstring stretch. Bend your left knee. Grip your thigh with your hands to keep the thigh steady. Straighten your left leg in the air until you feel a stretch. Hold the stretch for 5 to 10 seconds. Do the exercise 5 to 10 times. 6. sit on a bench or side of a bed. Hip adductor strengthening. While sitting, squeeze a rubber ball between your knees. Hold the squeeze for 5 to 10 seconds. Do the exercise 5 to 10 times. (If you don't have a ball, put your hands or fists between your knees and then squeeze.) 7. Hip abductor strengthening . standing on your left leg with the knee slightly bent. Slowly raise your right foot about 30 degrees, hold for a few seconds and then slowly lower the foot and straighten both legs. Do the exercise 10 times. Don't let your pelvis tilt (be crooked), and don't let your knees turn inward during bending. 8. sit on floor flatten leg on side and bend knee, bringing the foot near to the buttock, Hip and buttock stretch. Position yourself with your left leg over your right leg, and place your hands over your left knee. Pull the knee slightly toward you while sitting up very straight. Hold the position for 20 seconds and then rest for several seconds. Do the exercise 6 times. 9. Calf stretch. Position yourself against a wall. Keep your left heel on the ground to feel the back leg stretch. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds. Do the exercise 6 to 10 times.
This provides a general overview on this topic and may not apply to everyone. To find out if this applies to you and to get more information on this subject, talk to your family doctor.
Hope this is of help
Matador89

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