Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome is one of the more common knee conditions that usually involves generalised pain around or under the knee cap (patella). Pain can increase with higher impact activities like running and often going up and down stairs.
There are a number of factors that can be associated with the development of patellofemoral pain. These include:
- Poor Foot Mechanics-feet that are flat or excessively pronate (roll in)
- Weak hip and leg muscles
- A previous traumatic injury or arthritis
Knees are very susceptible to injury, particularly in runners or sports that involve a lot of jumping and running including basketball and netball. Often the cause of the knee pain is related to abnormal lower leg and foot mechanics. If the foot is unstable or excessively pronating then this can cause an abnormal stress on the knee joint as it is not tracking properly which places more stress on the knee joint and surrounding muscles and ligaments.
It is important to have the right footwear with adequate support to not only support your feet but your knees as well. Orthotics are sometimes needed to address factors such as over-pronation or rolling in of the feet or addressing poor foot posture.
At Camberwell Road Podiatry our Melbourne podiatrists can assess your knee and foot positions with gait analysis and determine if this is a contributing factor to your knee pain. Call to make an appointment today.