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Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Discharge Instructions - Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome


As discussed in the Emergency Department prior to discharge, based on our evaluation your pain is most likely due to patellofemoral pain syndrome.  Patellofemoral pain is a condition that causes pain in the front of the knee. It involves the knee cap, which doctors call the "patella."  Many times, patellofemoral pain happens in runners or other people who put a lot of pressure on their knees.  But the condition can also happen when a person's knee cap gets out of line with the knee joint.

Patellofemoral pain causes pain in the front of the knee, or around or behind the knee cap.  The pain can come on slowly or quickly.  The pain is usually worse when people squat, run, or sit for a long time.  Some people might also feel as if their knee is giving out.

Treatment usually involves a few parts.  The first part of treatment helps to reduce your pain. It can include:
-Resting your knee and avoiding activities or movements that make the pain worse.
-Taking nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, also called "NSAIDs."  NSAIDs are a large group of medicines that includes Ibuprofen (sample brand names: Advil, Motrin) and Naproxen (sample brand names: Aleve, Naprosyn).
-Putting ice on your knee when it hurts or after activities that cause pain.  You can put a cold gel pack, bag of ice, or bag of frozen vegetables on the painful area every 1 to 2 hours, for 15 minutes each time.  Put a thin towel between the ice (or other cold object) and your skin.

Another part of treatment involves doing exercises to strengthen the muscles around your knee.  Your doctor or nurse will show you which exercises to do, or he or she will have you work with a physical therapist (exercise expert).

Your doctor might also recommend that you:
  -Wear a knee brace to support your knee.
  -Tape up your knee in a certain way to support your knee.
  -Wear special shoe inserts made to fit your foot (to keep your foot from turning in or out too much).

It is important that you follow up with your primary care provider to arrange for additional treatment options, including referral to physical therapy.

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