Phase 2: Regain Full Range of Passive Motion
Your kneecap and knee must be able to glide through its full normal range of motion. Your physiotherapist will assess your motion and apply the necessary techniques to normalise your range of motion.
Phase 3: Restore Full Muscle Length
Your thigh, hamstring and calf muscles will require stretching is they are tight and are causing excessive tension or pressure on your kneecap. It is important to regain normal muscle length to improve your lower limb biomechanics.
Phase 4: Normalise Quadriceps Muscle Balance
n order to prevent a recurrence, your quadriceps muscle balance and its control should be assessed by your physiotherapist. In most instances you will require a specific knee strengthening program.
Your physiotherapist will prescribe the best exercises for you.
Phase 5: Normalise Foot & Hip Biomechanics
Patellofemoral pain syndrome can occur from poor foot biomechanics (eg flat foot) or poor hip control.
In order to prevent a recurrence, your foot and hip control should be assessed by your physiotherapist. In some instances you may require a foot orthotic (shoe insert) or you may be a candidate for the Active Foot Posture Stabilisation program.
Other patient may require a hip stabilisation program. Your physiotherapist will happily discuss what you require.
Phase 6: Normalise Movement Patterns
Kneecap pain commonly occurs from poor habits, whether they be an abnormal gait, jumping, landing, running or squatting technique. In order to prevent a recurrence, your walking pattern, jumping and landing technique, running style or squatting method should all be assessed and corrected as required.
Your physiotherapist will happily discuss what you specifically require.
Phase 7: Restore High Speed, Power, Proprioception and Agility
Most kneecap pain sufferers need to return to high speed or repetition activities, which place enormous forces on your knee. Your physiotherapist will guide you in your return to sport planning.
Balance and proprioception (the sense of the relative position of neighbouring parts of the body) are both known to be adversely affected by patellofemoral pain. To prevent a re-aggravation, both aspects need to be assessed and retrained.
Depending on what your sport or lifestyle entails, a speed, agility, proprioception and power program will be customised to prepare you for light sport-specific training.
Phase 8: Return to Sport
If you play sport, and depending on the demands of your chosen sport, you may require specific sport-specific exercises and a progressed training regime to enable a safe and injury-free return to your chosen sport.
Your physiotherapist will discuss your goals, time frames and training schedules with you to optimise you for a complete and safe return to sport. The perfect outcome will have you performing at full speed, power, agility and function with the added knowledge that a through rehabilitation program has minimised your chance of future injury.