Runner's knee

Runner's knee – or Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome – is a term used to describe a collective of issues which results in an aching pain around the knee cap. You might also notice swelling around your knee or a popping or grinding feeling around the knee joint. The pain experienced is normally down to wear and tear of cartilage or irritation of the tendons or soft tissues of the knee. Sports and activities which involve bending your knees a lot can exacerbate the condition.

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What causes runner's knee?

  • Repeated bending or high stress exercises
  • Any activity that places repeated stress on the tissues in the knee joint such as running, skiing, biking, jumping, cycling and playing football can increase your likelihood of developing this disorder
  • Misalignment - means the angles at which the foot interacts with the ground and upper body is wrong this can cause knee problems
  • Weak or unbalanced muscles - anything that affects your knee alignment could cause this injury, such as weak quads or tight hamstrings
  • Worn or irritated cartilage – Conditions such as Chondromalacia patella (the cartilage under your kneecap breaks down) reduce the shock absorption at the joint
  • Hypermobility - of the joints occurs when the tissues holding a joint together are too loose. Often, weak muscles surrounding the joint also contribute to hypermobility which again can cause knee problems
  • Sometimes fallen arches (flat feet) cause pronation, where your foot rolls inward, often resulting in unusual movement at the knee joint and causing pain
  • Arthritis - any joint in the body may be affected by the disease and particularly common in the knee

Treatment and prevention of runner's knee

  • If you have been diagnosed by a medical professional and the Runner's knee is due to Hypermobility or Arthritus - use the Enertor Running PX1 insole in your daily shoes and trainers
  • If you are diagnosed with misalignment - then please order a structured arch support insole to help stabise the foot. If you are unsure what is causing the Runner's Knee pain we suggest the Enertor Running PX1 insoles with better shock absorption and mid foot support
  • Please note: Runner's Knee and ITB Syndrome are similar but they are not the same! It’s crucial that you get the right diagnosis before starting a treatment plan. The best way to distinguish between Runner's Knee and IT Band Syndrome is by the location of the pain. Typically the pain of Runner’s Knee (patellofemoral pain) is located around and behind the kneecap and IT Band Syndrome pain is more on the lateral, outside of the knee and partially up the hip. Both covering a relative small area and it is unusual for either conditions to refer pain elsewhere, such as further down the leg toward the foot, or up towards the groin

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