Comprehensive Management of Patellofemoral Pain

Abstract

Effective management of patellofemoral pain is challenging to the practitioner when attempting to maintain the athlete's desired activity level while minimizing the symptoms. Due to the numerous etiological factors behind anterior knee pain, comprehensive management must include a lower extremity evaluation of muscular flexibility and strength as well as biomechanical abnormalities. Rehabilitation programs must focus on the flexibility, strength, endurance and proprioception of the extremity while reducing abnormal biomechanical forces. Programs to treat these abnormalities that increase patellofemoral stress must be systematically upgraded one variable at a time while monitoring the symptoms on a daily basis.