Patellofemoral (puh-tel-o-FEM-uh-rul) pain syndrome is pain at the front of your knee, around your kneecap (patella). Sometimes called "runner's knee," it's more common in people who participate in sports that involve running and jumping.

The knee pain often increases when you run, walk up or down stairs, sit for long periods, or squat. Simple treatments — such as rest and ice — often help, but sometimes physical therapy is needed to ease patellofemoral pain.



  • Walk up or down stairs
  • Kneel or squat
  • Sit with a bent knee for long periods of time

When to see your doctor





Risk factors

Factors that can increase your risk include:




  • Maintain strength. Strong quadriceps and hip abductor muscles help keep the knee balanced during activity, but avoid deep squatting during your weight training.
  • Lose excess pounds. If you're overweight, losing weight relieves stress on your knees.
  • Warm up. Before running or other exercise, warm up with five minutes or so of light activity.
  • Stretch. Promote flexibility with gentle stretching exercises.

Dec. 19, 2018
  1. O'Connor FG, et al. Patellofemoral pain syndrome. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed Nov. 5, 2015.
  2. Patellofemoral pain syndrome. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00680. Accessed Nov. 5, 2015.