no possible fix for petellar femoral syndrome

by Amy
(Rodney Ontario Canada)

I saw a specialist a couple of months ago regarding my knee... it has been bugging me for several years now and I wanted to know if there was anything I could possibly do to repair it. When I saw him he diagnosed me with patella femoral syndrome and told me that there was good news and bad news. The good news was that the pain would never get worse. The bad news was there was nothing I could possibly do to rectify it.

Is my physician full of crap? I read through your essay on patella femoral syndrome and it says to go get physio therapy done... is that your only recommendation?

I would appreciate a reply.

Thank you

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no possible fix for petellar femoral syndrome

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Oct 09, 2008
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patella femoral solutions...
by: Bart - SII

I would say that I respectfully disagree with your doctor. There are many things that can be done to help with patella femoral syndrome.

I am a firm believer in rehabilitation for PFS - I believe that should be the primary focus for any approach to address patella femoral syndrome. Without proper muscle control, strength, mobility, and balance (primarily in the hips and core), this injury cannot be eliminated.

There are many other possible causes that also have to be addressed as well, or exercise alone will likely not completely eliminate pain. You have to make sure that the biomechanics of your foot, ankle, and lower extremity are normal - orthotics to fix this can help if you have issues.

There are physical factors (lateral patellar tilt, among others) that may need to be addressed surgically - but usually only after rehab and biomechanical eval.

Modifications to activities, proper diet, appropriate rest - there are a multitude of factors that must be addressed for success - that is why I advocate therapy with a clinician who specializes in functional rehabilitation.

Bart