Patello Femoral Pain Syndrome - Chiropractic Treatment

Patello Femoral Pain Syndrome

Patello Femoral Pain Syndrome is pain around the knee cap due to bruising or degeneration of the cartilage under the kneecap. More specifically, between the patella and the femur, hence the name.

The Quadriceps is a group of four extremely powerful upper thigh muscles. Their function is to flex the hip (raise the femur), and extend the knee - straighten the lower leg. (There are far more muscles in the thigh, but four feed into the Patella).

For example, when raising yourself up from a sitting to a standing position, the Quadriceps is the primary muscle in the leg that is used.

Obviously in walking, running and jumping the Quad, as we call it, is a prime mover. The forces transmitted to the lower leg via an ingenious system of tendons are enormous so, to protect the Quad tendon from fraying as it passes over the Femur bone, a very special small bone called the Patella (knee cap) is provided to transmit the forces smoothly to the lower leg.

Because of this overwhelming stress on the patella (the cause of Patello Femoral Pain Syndrome), the cartilage under the patella is thicker than on any other bone in the body. Thicker even that on the hip. Next time you pop into the butcher, ask him if you can see a patella. A poor little pig's kneecap perhaps? Rub your finger over the cartilage - it's more slippery than ice!
Then take home a delic Eisbein, bake it so the fat is lovely and crackly crisp, and enjoy it with mashed potatoes, peas and, if you have the privilege of knowing someone who can brew (yes, it's brewed like beer) some sauerkraut. Make sure you take it with a decent Greek salad or you will find your cholesterol going into orbit. An aside: Want to know why a glass of red wine helps keep your cholesterol down?

Arthroscopy
Arthroscopy is the most common knee surgery done today. For some mind-blowing research done by the top US orthopaedic surgeon, click here.
Knee pain in the child?
The hip has a penchant for referring pain to the knee. In every case of knee pain, the hip should also be examined, but never is this more true than in the limping child complaining of vague pain in knee - thigh - groin.
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Never will I forget the lecture given by a leading orthopaedic surgeon who told a group of chiropractors how often he had to cover for colleagues who had operated on a knee, having missed the fact that the knee pain was simply being referred from the hip.

An aside. Do chiropractors miss things? Yes! I do, so I presume my colleagues do too. Is your excellent chiropractor just getting too busy? You have the feeling you are on a treadmill. In and out? Short on listening to you? Short on examination? It's a problem we all have, and I have to speak to myself very firmly occasionally! Perhaps it's time to consider a move to a younger graduate who will indeed be short on experience, but have more time for you.