Definition
Knee cap inflammation and ache due to displacement of patella as it slides along a groove in the thigh bone.
Symptoms
The pain is usually felt in the front part of the knee, but may be on the inside or outside of the knee cap. The patient experiences a sharp to dull pain when lying low, walking upstairs, getting out of the car/chair, or after sporty activities. Sometimes there is grinding or clicking around the knee cap which results in uneven surfaces of the underside of the patella and the femoral groove rub against one another.
Biomechanical etiology
Knee pain is usually developed due to the abnormal patella movement through patello-femoral groove. The movement of patella is controlled by the quadriceps muscles. If a muscle imbalance occurs for some reason, the quadriceps muscle on patella may experience forces which push it against one side of the groove than the other which in turn causes pressure on the articular cartilage. Over time, the pressure can cause damage to the articular cartilage, and cause pain and inflammation. Training errors, biomechanical abnormalities, muscle tightness and muscle weakness are major causes of knee pain.
Treatment
In the early stage, treatment involves decreasing the inflammation in the knee by resting, anti-inflammatory medications, and physical therapy. Taping can be used to reduce the pain immediately by repositioning the patella. It is continued until stretching and strengthening exercises re-balance the patella. Soft tissue therapy and stretching help loosen tight structures. To prevent the pain from returning, strengthening exercises must be performed once the pain has been resolved.
Additional Treatment
Application of ice on the knee cap, muscle balancing. Surgery may be required if the above treatment doesn’t not resolve the pain. If there are areas of articular cartilage damage behind the patella that are creating a rough surface, surgery can be done by smoothing the surface and reduce the pain.
Exercises
Strengthening the VMO assists in pelvic stability, and stretching of quadriceps and hamstrings.