What is "Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome"?
Have you ever felt pain in your knee, specifically around the kneecap? If so, you might currently be suffering from this syndrome, sometimes also called Patellofemoral Syndrome.
This condition results from inflammation of the kneecap's cartilage as it moves over the femur, as well as the surrounding stabilizing elements like the quadriceps tendon or the patellar tendon. The consequence of this inflammation is pain, which indicates improper tracking of the kneecap during knee movement.
What are the causes?
When we are in pain, the question that often plagues us the most is "why"? Why such inflammation? The reasons linked to this syndrome are numerous, the main one being lack of muscle tone in the quadriceps. But we can also find the following:
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Muscle loss, often occurring with age
- Traumas such as running on asphalt, repeated use of stairs, repeated kneeling (e.g., when tiling)
- Repeated or prolonged knee flexion
- Overuse of the patellar tendon (jumping, repeated and sharp changes of direction in certain sports)
What are the symptoms?
The purpose of this article is obviously not to stress you out with every knee pain, quite the contrary! The main thing is to be informed, to listen to your body and to consult so as never to worsen the troubles related to cycling.
To reassure you, here are some specific symptoms related to patellofemoral pain syndrome:
- Pain at the front of the knee
- Pain during sports activity
- Pain when descending stairs
- Pain during prolonged sitting
- Anteroposterior instability (i.e., the knee gives way)
- Sensation of locking
- Cracking or grinding inside the knee
- Possible swelling
What treatment?
Fortunately, even if you are affected by this syndrome, it's not the end of the world, and solutions are available to put an end to it. So, let's be optimistic!
The first recommended treatment is complete sports rest. This period of rest, even if you don't like it, will allow you to stop the inflammation and thus your pain. Once the pain has completely disappeared, you can resume sports while avoiding risky practices.
Second treatment, rehabilitation. This will allow you to regain good posture, alleviate pain, and strengthen muscles that lack tone.
Your doctor may also prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Some practitioners recommend wearing a knee brace, but this curative method is debated in the medical community . However, it could be useful to recenter the kneecap and thus reduce inflammation.
In very rare cases, kneecap surgery may be considered to recenter it.
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