Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsRecoveryPain SymptomsHome TreatmentSurgical TreatmentWalkingResuming Activity

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Recovery

Pain Symptoms

Home Treatment

Surgical Treatment

Walking

Resuming Activity

Runner’s knee, also known as patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), is a condition that causes pain at the front of the knee behind or around the kneecap (patella). Like its name suggests, this condition is common in runners, but also occurs in other populations. Recovery typically lasts a few weeks once aggravating activities, like running, jumping, or squatting. Fortunately, conservative treatments like performing exercises and getting physical therapy can help reduce your symptoms.

This article will review symptoms, causes, and treatments for runner’s knee and tips to help with recovery.

Sergey Mironov / Getty Images

Woman with hurt knee sitting down during job

A Glance at Runner’s Knee Recovery

While runner’s knee is generally not considered a serious condition, the pain and other symptoms can cause discomfort and interfere with your everyday activities. Runner’s knee accounts for 25% to 40% of all knee conditions, and impacts your ability to move around or even sit at school or work. If left untreated, pain can worsen and lead to cartilage breakdown and arthritis of the kneecap.

Recovery requires an initial period of rest from aggravating activities, including running, jumping, or exercise requiring deep knee bending. Performing corrective exercises and using pain-relieving methods, if needed, will help you recover. Most cases tend to resolve after several weeks.

Runner’s Knee Pain Symptoms

The most common symptom of runner’s knee is dull, aching pain in the front of the knee behind or around the kneecap. This pain worsens with weight-bearing activities when the knee is bent, such as squatting, lunging, or going down stairs. Pain and stiffness are also common with prolonged sitting with you knee in a bent position.

Grinding under the kneecap or mild knee swelling may also be present. Kneeling can be very uncomfortable, and walking downhill and going up and down stairs typically increases pain.

Factors that increase your risk of developing runner’s knee include:Overuse, especially with activities like running and squatting that stress the kneesSudden increase in physical activityKneecap misalignment or abnormal tracking of the kneecapMuscle imbalances or weakness of the quadriceps and hip musclesUneven running surfacePoor foot alignment or unsupportive footwear

Factors that increase your risk of developing runner’s knee include:

Home Treatment for Runner’s Knee Symptoms

Once you take a break from movements and activities that aggravate your runner’s knee symptoms, you will likely find lasting relief with conservative treatment methods.

Conservative Management

Short-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be helpful to reduce pain and inflammation when your runner’s knee symptoms are at their worst. If poor-fitting footwear or over-pronated or flat feet are contributing to your symptoms, foot orthotics can help improve the alignment of the joints of your lower body to reduce strain at your knees.

Exercise

Exerciseis most effective for short-term and long-term improvement in pain from runner’s knee.In many cases, weakness in the quadriceps and gluteal muscles causes or contributes to the development of runner’s knee.

Strengthening these muscle groups throughphysical therapyand corrective exercises can help restore proper alignment of your knee with movement and decrease stress at your knee.

Surgical Treatment for Severe Runner’s Knee

Most cases of runner’s knee resolve with conservative treatment. Surgery, which is rarely needed, is only recommended as a last resort to manage ongoing symptoms that do not get better.

While imaging tests are generally not needed to diagnose runner’s knee, you may have an X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan performed if your symptoms do not improve after several months of treatment. These scans can help determine if surgical treatment may be needed.

Procedures that may be done to help alleviate pain from runner’s knee include:

Walking on Runner’s Knee: What Helps?

Because walking is a lower-impact activity than running, it is typically not as bothersome, but faster walking speeds and walking downhill can be irritating to people with runner’s knee. Wearing a knee brace to support and stabilize your kneecap may help to alleviate some discomfort.

People who have already had knee surgery or have osteoarthritis of the knee may be at an increased risk of developing runner’s knee due to knee instability and muscle imbalances that may already be present. If you are experiencing any pain in your knees, do not start running or high-impact activities as they will likely make your symptoms worse.Consult with your healthcare provider about available treatment options and consider trying physical therapy.

People who have already had knee surgery or have osteoarthritis of the knee may be at an increased risk of developing runner’s knee due to knee instability and muscle imbalances that may already be present. If you are experiencing any pain in your knees, do not start running or high-impact activities as they will likely make your symptoms worse.

Consult with your healthcare provider about available treatment options and consider trying physical therapy.

Resuming Normal Physical Activity

Whenever attempting physical activity with runner’s knee, start off slowly and keep your intensity or duration of exercise to a minimum to see how your knee feels. If small amounts of physical activity do not aggravate your symptoms, you can gradually start to increase more.

RICE MethodIf you experience discomfort with physical activity, you can try theRICE method. RICE stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation:Rest:Avoid further physical activity and weight bearing on your knee.Ice:Apply ice or a cold pack to your knee for 10 to 20 minutes to help with pain and swelling.Compression:Lightly wrap your knee with an elastic bandage such as an Ace wrap or a soft brace to apply gentle compression and support to your knee.Elevation:Keep your knee raised up above the level of your heart to assist with drainage of swelling.

RICE Method

If you experience discomfort with physical activity, you can try theRICE method. RICE stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation:Rest:Avoid further physical activity and weight bearing on your knee.Ice:Apply ice or a cold pack to your knee for 10 to 20 minutes to help with pain and swelling.Compression:Lightly wrap your knee with an elastic bandage such as an Ace wrap or a soft brace to apply gentle compression and support to your knee.Elevation:Keep your knee raised up above the level of your heart to assist with drainage of swelling.

If you experience discomfort with physical activity, you can try theRICE method. RICE stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation:

Summary

Most cases can be treated with conservative treatments, including activity modification, the RICE method, wearing supportive footwear, and performing corrective exercises to reduce muscle imbalances contributing to the condition.

5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kasitinon D, Li WX, Wang EXS, Fredericson M.Physical examination and patellofemoral pain syndrome: An updated review.Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med.2021 Dec;14(6):406-412. doi: 10.1007/s12178-021-09730-7.Columbia Orthopedics.Patellofemoral pain syndrome - (runner’s knee).Gaitonde DY, Ericksen A, Robbins RC.Patellofemoral pain syndrome.Am Fam Physician.2019 Jan 15;99(2):88-94.American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. OrthoInfo.Patellofemoral pain syndrome.Santos TR, Oliveira BA, Ocarino JM, Holt KG, Fonseca ST.Effectiveness of hip muscle strengthening in patellofemoral pain syndrome patients: a systematic review.Braz J Phys Ther. 2015 May-Jun;19(3):167-76. doi: 10.1590/bjpt-rbf.2014.0089.

5 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kasitinon D, Li WX, Wang EXS, Fredericson M.Physical examination and patellofemoral pain syndrome: An updated review.Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med.2021 Dec;14(6):406-412. doi: 10.1007/s12178-021-09730-7.Columbia Orthopedics.Patellofemoral pain syndrome - (runner’s knee).Gaitonde DY, Ericksen A, Robbins RC.Patellofemoral pain syndrome.Am Fam Physician.2019 Jan 15;99(2):88-94.American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. OrthoInfo.Patellofemoral pain syndrome.Santos TR, Oliveira BA, Ocarino JM, Holt KG, Fonseca ST.Effectiveness of hip muscle strengthening in patellofemoral pain syndrome patients: a systematic review.Braz J Phys Ther. 2015 May-Jun;19(3):167-76. doi: 10.1590/bjpt-rbf.2014.0089.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Kasitinon D, Li WX, Wang EXS, Fredericson M.Physical examination and patellofemoral pain syndrome: An updated review.Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med.2021 Dec;14(6):406-412. doi: 10.1007/s12178-021-09730-7.Columbia Orthopedics.Patellofemoral pain syndrome - (runner’s knee).Gaitonde DY, Ericksen A, Robbins RC.Patellofemoral pain syndrome.Am Fam Physician.2019 Jan 15;99(2):88-94.American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. OrthoInfo.Patellofemoral pain syndrome.Santos TR, Oliveira BA, Ocarino JM, Holt KG, Fonseca ST.Effectiveness of hip muscle strengthening in patellofemoral pain syndrome patients: a systematic review.Braz J Phys Ther. 2015 May-Jun;19(3):167-76. doi: 10.1590/bjpt-rbf.2014.0089.

Kasitinon D, Li WX, Wang EXS, Fredericson M.Physical examination and patellofemoral pain syndrome: An updated review.Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med.2021 Dec;14(6):406-412. doi: 10.1007/s12178-021-09730-7.

Columbia Orthopedics.Patellofemoral pain syndrome - (runner’s knee).

Gaitonde DY, Ericksen A, Robbins RC.Patellofemoral pain syndrome.Am Fam Physician.2019 Jan 15;99(2):88-94.

American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. OrthoInfo.Patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Santos TR, Oliveira BA, Ocarino JM, Holt KG, Fonseca ST.Effectiveness of hip muscle strengthening in patellofemoral pain syndrome patients: a systematic review.Braz J Phys Ther. 2015 May-Jun;19(3):167-76. doi: 10.1590/bjpt-rbf.2014.0089.

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