Patellofemoral pain (PFP) can associate with running, jumping, squatting, and walking up and down stairs. The cause of PFP may be excessive rubbing between the back of the patella and the groove it’s in. Besides overuse, additional causes for PFP pain include muscle imbalance, weakness, or direct trauma. The condition is most common in pre-teens, teenagers, and young adults. This is usually due to overuse and/or misalignment. The latter refers to poor “patellofemoral tracking.” This can eventually lead to arthritis, which is more commonly seen in older adults with PF pain.
Previous Foot Research
Past research shows that issues in the foot can increase the risk of musculoskeletal pain in other parts of the body. In a 2018 study, researchers examined the effect of knee-targeted exercise vs. a combined approach. It includes knee- and foot-focused exercises with foot orthotics in patients with patellofemoral pain. Foot orthotics are shoe inserts to correct pronation or the rolling inwards of the ankle and foot.
Participants receive instructions to perform terminal extension quad exercises that emphasized straightening the knee. This exercise can be done sitting or lying on the back with a towel rolled-up behind the knees. You can also perform this with or without an ankle weight. Fully flex the quad muscles for 3 to 5 seconds and repeat the process 10 to 20 times.
The results show significantly greater improvement in the group that included foot care. The conclusion supports that better outcomes are achieved by combining foot exercise and foot orthotics with knee exercises. The authors report that the benefits were still present four months after the conclusion of care but not a year. This suggests the importance of continuing exercise and foot orthotic use.
Conclusion
Chiropractors routinely perform posture assessments when examining patients with knee pain. In order to identify dysfunction in the hip or feet, the assessment may contribute to their chief complaint.
