Don’t underestimate the 10km road race! Patellofemoral pain syndrome may affect the upper body

Taiwanese are crazy about road running competitions, but many people lack planned and proper training, are overconfident, and rashly participate in races that underestimate the 10-kilometer distance. Doctors warn that if you participate in long-distance running at the last minute and lack training, it is easy to cause "patellofemoral pain syndrome". If people find that they have symptoms of pain in the front of the knee after running, they must not ignore it.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is common among young people who exercise frequently, and the main symptom is pain in the front of the knee.

Insufficient training! Male college student suffers from knee pain after road running

A 23-year-old male college student named Li is a member of the department's volleyball team. He occasionally runs 3 to 5 kilometers around the playground by himself to practice endurance. A few months ago, he signed up for a 10-kilometer road race at the invitation of a friend. He believed that he had no problem with his physical fitness, so he did not strengthen his training.

Unexpectedly, after the run, I often experienced pain in the front of both knees, especially when going up and down stairs and squatting. I couldn't even participate in my usual volleyball practice. After seeking medical attention, it was discovered that he suffered from "patellofemoral pain syndrome". When the patella slid, it would obviously deviate to the outside, especially on the right knee. Fortunately, after rehabilitation treatment and exercise training, the symptoms gradually improved.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is more common in young athletes

Huang Renhua, a rehabilitation physician at the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Taichung Hospital who treated the patient, said that patellofemoral pain syndrome generally occurs in younger people, especially those who exercise frequently. It often occurs in sports that require frequent use of the lower limbs, such as running, basketball, football, volleyball, table tennis, and high jump. The symptoms are pain in the front of the knee, noise when the knee is bent, and particular pain when going up and down stairs and squatting.

Dr. Huang Renhua said that the deviation of the sliding track of the patella causes friction between the patella and femur, which can easily cause pain over time. (Photo provided by Taichung Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare)

The sliding track of the patella is deviated, and the friction between the two bones is also painful.

Dr. Huang Renhua explained that patellofemoral pain syndrome, in simple terms, is a problem between the patella and femur. Under normal circumstances, the patella and the surrounding muscles and soft tissues will achieve a balance at the knee, forming a track that allows the patella to glide smoothly when the knee bends and straightens. Once the balance is broken and the patella leaves the track when sliding, friction is likely to occur.

The most common tissues that have problems are the iliotibial band on the outside of the patella and the vastus medialis oblique muscle on the inside. Generally, the iliotibial band is overly tight. In addition to patellofemoral pain syndrome, such patients are also prone to iliotibial band pain syndrome; in addition, the vastus medialis oblique muscle is relatively loose and weak. These two outward pulling and inward pushing forces will cause the patella to deviate to the outside when sliding, causing pain over time.

Say goodbye to patellofemoral pain syndrome. Improving exercise habits is the key

When diagnosing patellofemoral pain syndrome, other ligament, bursal or degenerative diseases of the knee must be ruled out. Once diagnosed, rest and oral medication can relieve pain. Some deep heat therapy and electrotherapy can also improve symptoms.

But more importantly, exercise habits improve in the future. In addition to the original exercise activities, you should also seriously add the stretching of the tensor fasciae latae and iliotibial band on the outside of the thigh, as well as the strength training of the vastus medialis oblique muscle on the inside. In addition to stretching the outer thighs, you can also use a foam roller to massage them for better results. Strength training for the inner thigh muscles can be done by raising the calf, squatting against the wall, or clamping a ball between the thighs.

If knee pain persists for 2 to 3 days after exercise, you should see a doctor as soon as possible as it may be patellofemoral pain syndrome.

【Doctor's Tips】:

Dr. Huang Renhua reminds that friends who exercise regularly should stretch more before and after exercise. If you experience knee pain after exercise, you can apply ice and rest for the first 2 or 3 days. If the pain does not improve, you should seek medical help to see if you have an injury to the tendons, ligaments, or bursae in the knee, or patellofemoral pain syndrome. Early treatment of the acute phase can prevent it from developing into chronic pain.