The causes and impact of Patellofemoral Pain

The causes and impact of Patellofemoral Pain

Over 2 million people in the UK use running as a form of exercise at least once a week [1]. In the US, this figure becomes 60 million people [2]. This form of exercise has increased in popularity by 57% over the last 10 years [3]. Those who participate in this form of exercise can benefit from a range of benefits as a result of this lifestyle choice. This includes, but is not limited to:

–          Improvement in cardiovascular fitness

–          Help maintain a healthy weight

–          Help maintain and build bone strength

–          Maintaining a healthy weight

With these benefits, it’s no wonder that this form of exercise has increased with popularity. But with any exercise, there is a risk of injury. With running this could be blisters, shin pain and muscle inflammation. There is also a risk of Patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as Runners Knee.

Runners Knee affects 30% of female runners and 25% of male runners [4]. This condition is identified as a dull pain around the front of the knee. The pain is usually located where the knee connects with the lower end of the thighbone [5]. This can take up to 6 weeks to heel and can prevent the runner from partaking in the exercise during this time period [6].

Runner’s knee can be caused by a range of factors, this includes; a direct hit to the knee, a problem with bone alignment and weak or unbalanced thigh muscles [7]. However, one of the most common causes of this condition is overuse. Repeating your exercise too frequently can irritate the tissues in and around the kneecap.

Luckily, this is something CT Clinic can help with; with over 20,000 pain-free patients CT Clinic cures complicated cases of pain using a technique called COPA therapy.

COPA therapy is a combination of chiropractic, Osteopath, Physiotherapy and acupuncture techniques. This allows the practitioner to target the pain in even the smallest of muscles and cure it. COPA therapy is a new methodology created by Ammar Sawaf who struggled with back pain when he was 17. His pain ended his career in Football and he soon discovered that no one had the skills to treat him. As a result, he studied and studied, gaining a degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine. This led him to create what is now known as CT Clinic.

Based in Greater Manchester, West Didsbury, CT Clinic is the home of innovative pain specialist Ammar Sawaf who founded his company in 2006. Mr Sawaf believes the source of the pain is muscle stiffness and uses his COPA therapy technique to cure his patients from pain completely. CT Clinic treats pain differently by focusing on the root cause of the pain, not just a cure. Many of our patients are told their pain is ‘untreatable’ and rely on painkillers to continue their daily lives.

This innovative treatment has been developed over the last 20 years, and now, with the help of Myton technology, Mr Sawaf hopes to prove this scientifically and innovate the way pain is treated beyond his private clinic.

Myoton technology is the only reliable machine in the world that can measure muscle stiffness in a non-invasive way, along with also measuring biomechanical and viscoelastic properties. The machine is very simple and shows the state of the muscles within 1 minute and that is why is used by NASA and over 600 universities around the world.

Mr Sawaf is determined to make a difference with COPA therapy, this would save billions of people and billions of pounds being spent on lower back pain treatment and painkillers. The success he’s seen in CT Clinic hasn’t gone unnoticed by his patients with over 65 five-star reviews on Google reviews. Mr Sawaf hopes this is the start of a major change in how pain is treated.

Ammar Sawaf treats conditions like runner’s knee on a regular basis. However, luckily, there are easy ways to avoid the runner’s knee in the first place. These include, but are not limited to:

–          Stretch the muscles around your knee before exercising

–          Strengthen your leg and core muscles

–          Rest. Don’t overdo it!

Although we want to push ourselves to achieve the best results, it is important to listen to our bodies’ needs in order to minimise the risk of injury and pain. At home, mild cases of runner’s knee can be eased by things such as cold packs, elevating the leg and staying hydrated.

If you want any further information on how CT Clinic can help your pain please visit our website www.ctclinic.co.uk or call us 0161 4597 034.

Author:

Ellen Maynard-Smith
Business Developer
(22/03/2022)

References

[1] Wray, K (2014). Are we becoming a nation of runners? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-30036800. [Last accessed 22/03/2022].

[2] Lange, D (2020). Running & Jogging. https://www.statista.com/topics/1743/running-and-jogging/#:~:text=In%20the%20United%20States%20alone,to%20start%20running%20or%20jogging. [Last accessed 22/03/2022].

[3] Andersen, J (2021). The State of Running 2019. https://runrepeat.com/state-of-running [Last accessed 22/03/2022].

[4] Saxena, V (2020). What are Common Knee Injuries from Running? https://www.templehealth.org/about/blog/common-knee-injuries-running#:~:text=Runner’s%20knee%20%E2%80%93%20also%20known%20as,and%2025%25%20of%20male%20runners. [Last accessed 22/03/2022].

[5] Hopkins Medicine (2022). Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/patellofemoral-pain-syndrome-runners-knee#:~:text=Runner’s%20knee%20may%20be%20caused,Weak%20thigh%20muscles [Last accessed 22/03/2022].

[6] https://www.kinetic-revolution.com/how-long-does-it-take-to-recover-from-runners-knee/ [Last accessed 22/03/2022].