There are a few common diagnoses for knee pain.
Runner’s Knee
The medical term for Runner’s Knee is chondromalacia patella – it’s the wear and tear of the cartilage on the back of the kneecap caused by abnormal motion. Symptoms include swelling, inflammation and pain in the top of the knee, with stiffness after sitting and pain going up and down stairs.
Patellar Femoral Syndrome
This is characterized as pain around the knee cap or patella rather than behind it. This is most commonly caused by improper tracking of the knee during gait or running.
Other areas
Other pain can be anywhere surrounding the knee. The inside of the knee or the outside of the knee can be different ligaments or tendons.
Lastly, there can be just general knee pain which is most commonly knee arthritis. This is described as pain within the joint of the knee caused by the bone on bone grinding as a result of the cartilage being worn out from wear and tear. This often thought of as an old person’s condition but younger people can get this when they had improper alignment in their body added with excessive wear and tear.
Solutions
These various types of knee conditions can be caused by weak quads, faulty biomechanics or a dysfunction in the patellar tendon. Icing, therapeutic ultrasound or laser can help reduce discomfort. A stretching and strengthening program and orthotics might be prescribed, as well as a close examination of your exercise program; our chiropodist can look at your gait and the surfaces you run to help correct running-related issues.