Have you ever experienced a sharp, stabbing, ice-pick sensation on the outside of one of your knees while running? You might notice stiffness and tightness a few hours later or even a sharp twinge just from standing up. If so, there is a good chance that you might be dealing with iliotibial band (ITB) syndrome or pain. ITB pain is one of the most common running related injuries and can plague runners for a long time if not managed appropriately. In this blog post, I will provide an overview of what causes ITB pain, review common myths, explain how to treat it, and outline a simple return to running guide.

In this final section on Runner’s Knee (PFPS), we will review how to safely progress back to running. At this point, you have learned the factors that can lead to PFPS, how to calm the knee down, and how to build up knee and hip strength as outlined in previous blog posts. Now the question is, how do I return to running? In this post, we will outline a few considerations prior to starting a return to running along with a sensible return to run program. Remember, this is general information as each person and case varies. There is no one “perfect plan” to get you back on track. 

In this continued deep dive on Runner’s Knee (PFPS), we will now move on to specific exercises that you can perform to get you back on the road to running. As we have discussed in previous posts, PFPS is a complex condition that is multifactorial in nature. It is normally related to an overload of your knee’s capacity (exceeding its envelope of function), weakness around the hip and knee, your body’s pain response, stress, sleep, and more! 

In this deep dive installment on Runner’s Knee or patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), the next logical question is how do you treat it? We have already established that runner's knee is difficult to treat with over 50% of cases lasting 18+ months and another 50% of people having a recurrent episode within a year. Part of this problem may be due to a history of misinformation, poor previous treatments, and passive approaches that contributed to lasting symptoms. In this blog, I will review these outdated methods or what to avoid for runner’s knee treatment. I will then provide a guide on the current best practices and treatment approaches to help solve your runner’s knee for good.

Building off my initial overview post on Runner’s Knee, I will take a deeper dive into different sections related to runner’s knee or patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). In this first deep dive, I will review the pathophysiology or the cause behind PFPS and how it has changed from a pathoanatomical to a more systemic and load related condition. This in-depth guide will give you a better understanding of what's really causing your knee pain and how to better consume the right and most updated ideas on runner’s knee.

If you have been a runner for any length of time, you have most likely dealt with knee pain to some extent. And there is a good chance it was Runner's knee or patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). It is that dull, achy pain behind the knee cap or around the front of the knee. It can be hard to pinpoint an exact location and sometimes feels like it moves around. You may have been told that is due to your kneecap not “tracking” right in its groove or that your quads and hips are weak but things are actually a little more complex than that. 

In an ideal world, every race we run goes great. However that is not always the case. Even as a physical therapist and run coach, this happened to me during my last half marathon. Sometimes bad races happen and we have no idea why they happen or so we may think…