April 2005

I have begun jogging and have pain in the front of my knee.  Is this serious?

This sounds like a very common and typical problem many people encounter when they begin or increase a running activity.  There can be numerous causes, but the most frequent cause that we see in the clinic, and the easiest cause to deal with, is that of tight hamstrings.  Hamstring tightness directly correlates to knee pain by increasing the work that the quads (muscles on the front of the thigh) have to do to overcome the tightness on the back of the thigh (hamstring).  This increased workload causes increased friction between the patella (kneecap) and the femur (thigh bone).  The greater the intensity or endurance of the activity, the greater the friction levels which result in the inflammation and pain.  Therefore, by stretching the hamstrings regularly a person can minimize the friction and irritation of the knee joint.

Kevin Cappel, PT