If you are a runner you may have experienced the dull, aching pain in the front of your kneecap area that is characterized by runner’s knee. Even if you don’t run regularly, runner’s knee can make simple tasks like sitting painful and is the most common cause of knee pain in the U.S. population.

Runner’s knee develops when tendons on the side of the knee become strained or when there is irritation or softening of the cartilage that surrounds the kneecap. These are the two types of runner’s knee: Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS) and Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS).

Symptoms, Causes, and Prevention

This leads to a dull and aching pain which is the major symptom of runner’s knee. Overuse, trauma to the kneecap, and misalignment of the kneecap are just a few of the ways runner’s knee can happen. This means people who play sports, regularly climbs stairs, hike, or squat often are also at a higher risk.

Including hip and core strengthening exercises into your routine is one way to prevent runner’s knee, along with wearing tennis shoes that have good support.

A physical exam or X-ray is enough to diagnose a person with either form of runner’s knee. It is rare, but untreated cases of runner’s knee can lead to surgery, permanent damage to knee cartilage, and even the onset of arthritis.

 

Restoring Optimal Health with Neuromuscular Therapy

When rest and icing the area don’t work, and pain from runner’s knee lingers longer than 3 weeks, it’s time to see a specialist.

Neuromuscular therapy helps restore control, strength, and flexibility to the knee’s surrounding region by addressing muscle imbalance in the gluteal and quadriceps muscles. Tightness or weakness in these muscles contribute to pain when they are unable to support the kneecap properly. Techniques used during NMT, such as trigger point release, active release technique, and corrective exercises reactivate muscles and improve joint stability. This helps keep your legs and kneecaps in proper alignment.

 

Conclusion

Though this condition is called runner’s knee, it can impact anyone who bends their knees often. If you are experiencing this type of pain and looking for a natural way to treat either form of runner’s knee, talk to your doctor about neuromuscular therapy, and schedule a free consultation with Myopress today.

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Myopress Inc. is a licensed neuromuscular therapy clinic with offices in Houston and Cypress Texas. Owner Ephraim Colwell has over 15 years of experience and is eager to solve your pain problems using his expertise in the body’s neuromuscular system. Call, email, or come by to book an appointment! Rates start at $85/hr & all new clients receive $20 off their first session.

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